Malice
by EvilBoyGenius
Summary: Team Stax must battle a new and dangerous enemy. Do they have the strength and ingenuity to defeat this new menace, or will they die trying. Contains Kya, please R&R.
1. Chapter 1: A new quest

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Redakai, nor do I own the cover picture.

**Chapter 1**

''Good morning students'' master Boddai greeted Team Stax, as he walked into the X-caper, supporting his weight on a cane. ''Morning master B'' Boomer replied, as he put his breakfast-plate in the dishwasher, a newly installed accessory. Ky and Maya were still eating. ''I am here to inform you that a new kairu deposit has been detected somewhere in Iceland'' the old master said. ''You are to depart at once.''

Ky stood up, an empty plate in front of him. ''Then what are we waiting for, lets get questing''. He swiped the plate up with one hand, and threw it, as one would throw a Frisbee, into the dishwasher. He meant for it to land there in one piece, but that did not prove to be the case. The dish shattered on impact, with an accompanying noise. Mookee rushed into the room, a club in hand. ''Are we under attack?'' the little alien asked nervously, then his gaze turned towards the dishwasher and the broken plate. ''Oh boy'' he said in a resigned tone. He took a roll of duct tape from a kitchen drawer. ''Don't worry, there's no problem that duct tape can't solve''. He began puzzling the plate together.

Master Boddai just shook his head and walked out of the X-caper. Maya put her plate in the dishwasher, and then walked to the navigation map. Boomer sat in the pilot seat and Ky beside him. ''Next destination, Iceland'' Boomer exclaimed, as they took off.

xxxxx

Vexus, Hexus and Nexus, the three almost identical looking members of Team Hiverax, made their way along a winding hallway in Lokar's new lair. They had been summoned by their master, and were on their way to the throne room. They rounded a corner, and came to a large door, on the other side of which was the throne room. The door opened and they walked through it.

''What is thy bidding master?'' the three brothers asked in unison, as they dropped into a low bow before Lokar, who sat on his throne. ''I am sensing kairu energy somewhere in Iceland, and if I have found it, then Team Stax has surely detected it as well. Retrieve it for me''. ''Your wish is our command'' the Hiverax said; then, after exchanging nods, they left the room.

xxxxx

The X-caper soared through the sky, over the Atlantic Ocean, its large exhaust pipes leaving a white contrail. Aboard the vessel, Maya was looking out the side window, when something caught her eye; three shapes, soaring through the air, little more than half a mile away. ''Guys, we've got e-teens'' she said. Ky joined her at the window. He shaded his eyes with his hand, and peered through the window, at the three distant shapes. Maya was right. He could not see which e-teens these were, the distance was simply too great, but he had a feeling that he would find out soon enough.

''I don't think they've spotted us yet'' Ky said, not tearing his gaze from the e-teens. ''Then let's keep it that way'' Boomer said. He brought the ship down to a nice cruising speed, minimizing the noise from the thrusters, then he turned a large, round knob, pressed a few buttons, and the ship became completely invisible from the outside. ''Good job Boom'' Maya complemented, giving Boomer a thumbs up.

Ky peered at the e-teens again, and saw to his dismay that they had veered in their direction and were getting closer. ''I don't think it worked'' he said, pointing at the approaching e-teens. The shapes were becoming more substantial, and he could soon discern their identities. ''Great, the Hiverax'' he muttered to himself, ''how long is it until we reach land Boomer?'' Boomer looked at his instruments. ''About ten minutes'' he replied. ''Easy Ky'' Maya said, ''just because they veered in our direction doesn't mean they've spotted us. Besides, even if they knew we were in the area, it would be impossible for them to pinpoint our exact location. We are cloaked after all.'' Ky smiled. He liked Maya, and always felt more at ease with her around. ''Let's hope you're right'' he said.

xxxxx

Mookee, who had given up on trying to glue the pieces of the shattered plate together, sat discouraged at the dining table, his faith in duct tape severely wounded. He had been oblivious to what was going on around him, until he thought he heard the word: Hiverax. Mookee shuddered. Of all the e-teens, he feared the Hiverax the most. They were ruthless, even by e-teen standards, and would go to great lengths to get what they wanted.

Mookee stood up and walked over to Ky and Maya, who were still standing at the window, watching intently the Hiverax's approach. They were close now, barely thirty yards away; and closing. They suddenly stopped in mid air. ''This is not good'' Ky said in a worried tone.

xxxxx

Vexus, Hexus and Nexus came to a halt in mid air. They had seen the X-caper, and had initially planned to sabotage the craft; but the ship's unexpected disappearance had foiled their plan. ''It would appear that Team Stax is in possession of a cloaking device'' Vexus communicated telepathically. ''Little good it will do them'' Hexus continued. ''Let us put an end to their games'' Nexus concluded. Their eyes began emitting a feint glow.

xxxxx

Ky jumped from the window as the X-caper began to tremble. ''What's happening Boomer?'' he asked, though he thought he already knew the answer. ''The Hiverax must be messing with the ship's systems'' Boomer replied, trying frantically to keep the ship from taking a nosedive into the Atlantic ocean. Sweat was beading on his brow. He had mostly gotten over his fear of deep, dark water, but the thought of crash-landing in the middle of the ocean was not appealing to him. Smoke rose from the X-caper's controls and it sounded like the ship was going to shake itself apart.

Maya fell back a step. ''We're losing altitude'' she said, casting a worried glance Ky's way. ''We'd better strap down'' Ky said. Maya nodded. The two proceeded to strap down. Mookee had already strapped down in the seat beside Boomer, and was trying to activate the backup system, but nothing was working. ''Brace for impact!'' Boomer shouted, pulling at the wheel with all his might. Ky and Maya held each other, as the X-caper crashed into the ocean, going under as it did.

The ship remained submerged for several long seconds, but then it shot up to the surface. ''You alive back there?'' Boomer asked in a worried tone. ''We're still breathing'' came Maya's reply. Boomer and Mookee unstrapped themselves and walked to Ky and Maya, who were still unknowingly holding each other. A wide smile found its way onto Boomer's face. He had always had a hunch that Ky and Maya had feelings for each other, though he had had no way of proving it – until now.

That is when Ky and Maya realized that they were still holding each other. They recoiled; blushing fiercely. ''We'd better see the extent of the damage'' Ky said, resuming his role as leader. ''Good point'' Maya added, as she stood up. ''That may have to wait'' Boomer said suddenly, motioning the other two to be quiet. Footfalls could be heard above them. ''The Hiverax'' all three said in unison. ''Mookee see if you can repair the ship'' Ky said, ''we'll take care of the Hiverax''. ''Aye aye sir'' Mookee said, saluting Ky, as a sailor would salute a captain. He was brought back to reality as a thin crack appeared on the ship's windshield. He got himself a roll of duct tape, and began sealing the crack.

Ky, Maya and Boomer went through the hatch, and up onto the X-caper's deck. There they were met by three e-teens. ''Hello Team Stax'' Hexus said, ''Sorry for the inconvenience'' Nexus concluded. ''I'm guessing you guys are responsible for our little nosedive'' Boomer asked accusingly. The Hiverax's reply came in the form of a chuckle. ''I'll take that as a yes'' Boomer said, dropping into a bow, ''kairu challenge!'' Vexus, Hexus and Nexus exchanged nods. ''We shall accept!'' they said in unison, dropping into a similar bow. The clouds began swirling above them, and lightning streaked the sky. Waves smashed against the dented hull of the X-caper, rocking the ship to and fro.

The two teams stacked up, calling upon the power of their signature monsters. They did not transform into their monsters though, for there was simply not enough room. ''FANGRAX!... WRENDAX!... NEURAX!'' the Hiverax shouted in unison. ''METANOID!... HARRIER!... FROZTOK!'' Ky, Maya and Boomer shouted, taking up battle stances.

With everyone stacked up, the battle began in earnest. Nexus seized the initiative. ''CONFUSION SPIRAL!'' he shouted, reaching out with his hands, and a column of blue energy burst from his palms. Ky managed to jump over the incoming attack, but Boomer and Maya did not. The attack hit them, enveloping them in the blue energy. The world seemed to spin around them, making them fall to their knees, holding their churning stomachs, their discomfort only heightened by the constantly rocking X-caper.

''BLACK HOLE!'' Ky shouted, and a mass of spinning red energy appeared next to his teammates, sucking away the blue energy enveloping them. The two of them quickly got back on their feet and joined Ky. ''Sweet move Ky'' Boomer said, patting Ky on the shoulder, ''thanks a ton''. ''Don't thank me yet'' Ky said, ''we still have three Hiverax to deal with''. ''Not for long'' Maya said. ''SNIPER SIGHT!'' she shouted, reaching out with one arm, and a thin ray of green energy burst from it, smiting Hexus in the chest. The e-teen was thrown back and nearly fell off the edge and into the sea. He clutched his chest, and a low groan escaped his mouth. There was a small burn mark where the attack had hit him. ''Your turn now Vexus!'' Boomer said, ''BOREALIS BLAST!'' A ball of multicolored energy appeared in his hands, and he threw it. The attack took Vexus off his feet, and tossed him through the air. He landed beside Hexus, who had gotten up, a wisp of smoke coming from his mouth and nose. ''SHADOW FIRE!'' he shouted, and a gout of roaring flame left his now open mouth. Boomer, who did not manage to evade, found himself hit by the attack and thrown backwards through the air. He landed at the edge of the X-caper's deck. His fear of water assaulted him, his heart beating furiously in his chest, and sweat glistening on his brow.

Ky went to help Boomer, but Maya stayed behind to keep the Hiverax away. ''Don't come any closer'' she warned, taking up a defensive posture. Vexus, Hexus and Nexus chuckled in unison, wicked grins on their faces. ''I think it is time to end this battle'' Hexus said. ''I agree, we have much to do'' Nexus continued. ''SHADOW CLAW!'' Vexus shouted, and a red claw, shot from his outstretched hand. Maya jumped to the side, but wasn't quick enough. The attack brushed against her arm, bloodying it, and sending a painful jolt through her body. She looked at her arm, and saw to her relief that it was only a minor wound.

Ky and Boomer walked up to her and saw that she was bleeding. ''Maya are you okay?'' Ky asked, concerned. ''Its just a scratch'' Maya said, ''we've got more important things to worry about''. Ky took a look at Maya's wounded arm, and then at the Hiverax. He nodded grimly. ''Let's take these guys down'' he said.

Maya ran towards the e-teens, a grimace of determination on her face. ''INFERNAL STRIKE!'' Hexus shouted, and a ball of red energy, somewhat resembling a human skull, shot from his outstretched hand. Maya jumped over the attack, covering the remaining distance to Hexus, and then she performed a circle kick. Hexus brought his arm up just in time to block the attack, but realized too late that Boomer was closing in. The blonde warrior launched a kick at Hexus' knee, causing him to fall off the edge. He did not go alone though, for he managed to grab Maya's unwounded arm, and pull her with him. The pair fell into the sea, with an accompanying splash.

**To be continued... **


	2. Chapter 2: Out on the ocean

**Chapter 2  
**

Maya went under for a moment, but soon broke the surface, thrashing frantically. The water was icy cold, but she did not care, for as painful as the cold was, the pain from her wound making contact with the salty water was far greater. She grimaced through the pain and looked upwards, trying to find a way to get back on board the ship. Hexus bobbed in the water a few meters away from her, seemingly unconscious. Maya, though disgusted by the idea of helping an e-teen, swam towards him, not noticing the trail of blood she was leaving in the water.

Ky watched helplessly as Maya fell off the X-caper. He ran to the edge, and took a look down. He saw Maya swimming towards Hexus, who was bobbing in the water, unconscious by the look of it. ''NEURAL BLAST!'' Nexus shouted abruptly, and a thin beam of blue energy shot out from his forehead. The attack hit Ky, dropping him to the ground. The two Hiverax brothers standing on the deck of the X-caper chuckled in unison, then walked over to where Ky was lying. ''It is time to end this'' Vexus said. ''I agree, we have other more pressing matters to attend to'' Nexus concluded. Their hands began to glow, as they prepared to strike the human dead.

''Not so fast!'' Boomer shouted as he jumped into the air. ''RIGHTEOUS LIGHT!'' he exclaimed, and his chest began to emanate a glow. Then, with a triumphant scream, he unleashed the attack. Three beams of pure light, shot out from his chest, and hit the e-teens. They fell to the ground, unconscious and defeated.

Maya reached the unconscious Hexus a few moments later. She could not see his face, for he faced down in the water. She shook her head, barely believing that she was about to save him. ''It sometimes sucks being one of the good guys'' she mumbled to herself. Suddenly, Hexus exploded into motion. He locked his arm around Maya's neck, and forced her under the water. She struggled, and managed to loosen his grip to the point where she could get her head out of the water. She then snapped her elbow backwards into his side, breaking the hold.

A rope splashed into the water about three meters away from her. Maya looked up and saw Ky and Boomer. ''Swim for the rope!'' Ky called down to her. Maya swam for the rope with all speed, Hexus following. He had no intention of letting her get out of the water alive. Maya reached the X-caper, grabbing at the rope frantically. ''Pull!'' Ky yelled, as he and Boomer tugged at the rope, pulling Maya two feet out of the water. A hand shot out out of the water, locking its vise-like grip around her ankle. Maya looked down, and saw Hexus, looking up at her, a wicked smile stretched across his thin lips. ''Sorry for the inconvenience'' he said, each word dripping with venom. Ky and Boomer tugged at the line with all their might, but the added weight of Hexus made their task all the harder to complete. Maya, now halfway up, shook her leg wildly, hoping that the e-teen would fall off, but to no avail.

A slight movement out on the water caught Boomer's eye. His eyes widened and an ashen pall fell upon his features. ''SHARK!'' he cried out, tugging at the rope with such force, that Maya ascended three feet. ''A what!?'' Maya shouted. Ky's gaze went upwards, coming to rest on a distant form, a dorsal fin, sticking two feet out of the water. ''Just stay calm, we'll get you out of there'' he said, pulling all the harder at the rope. ''That's easy for you to say'' she said, ''you're not the one hanging over the ocean with an e-teen stuck to your leg and a hungry shark preparing to make a meal of you''.

Hexus had dismissed the whole thing as a feeble attempt to scare him. He began swinging to and fro on Maya's leg. ''Stop that'' Maya spat, but only received a wicked smile from the e-teen. She was beginning to lose her grip on the rope. Hexus chuckled. ''Let go of me!'' she commanded, but Hexus did not let go, on the contrary, his grip on her ankle tightened. Maya shook her leg but to no avail; the e-teen's iron-grip was unbreakable. ''Let me go!''

Vexus and Nexus woke up at that point in time. They stood up and walked over to Ky and Boomer, who were still tugging at the rope. They looked over the edge of the X-caper, and there they saw their brother, hanging from Maya's leg. They could also see movement out on the water, some distance away from the X-caper, but they dismissed it as irrelevant.

Maya felt anger building up within her. Sweat was beading on her brow, and when her thoughts turned to the shark infested waters below, her anger gave way to rage. ''Let go'' she said through her clenched teeth. Hexus did not. Suddenly, Maya's amber eyes turned a purple hue. She took a deep breath, and brought her free leg up, and then, with a scream of rage and defiance, she snapped it back with all her strength, kicking Hexus squarely in the face. His head snapped back, and he fell into the water.

With Hexus no longer holding her, it was easy for Ky and Boomer to haul Maya up onto the deck. When standing on the deck, shivering from the cold, her anger dissipated, and her eyes reverted back to normal. She looked down into the water where Hexus had landed. ''Hexus!'' Vexus and Nexus called in unison, worried about their brother. Maya too was worried. What if she had broken his neck or knocked him unconscious; then he would surely drown. Ky saw her worried look and put his hand on her shoulder. ''There was nothing else you could have done'' he said, trying to offer her some comfort, ''If you hadn't kicked him, he would have taken you with him into the water.'' A smile found its way onto Maya's face. She somehow felt warmer now. ''Boomer, go get a blanket'' Ky ordered. Boomer nodded and went down into the X-caper.

Hexus resurfaced a few moments later, a big bruise on his face. He looked up at his brothers and then at Maya. ''It seems that you are full of surprises Maya'' he said spitefully, ''really; what an excellent e-teen you would make.'' Maya answered with an icy glare, but received only a wicked smile. Boomer returned with the blanket. Ky took it and draped it around Maya's shoulders. ''Thanks'' she said, blushing a little.

Hexus suddenly went under. Team Stax, along with Vexus and Nexus, peered down into the water, surprised at Hexus' disappearance. Maya, thinking it to be another ruse, spoke up: ''Please, how gullible do you think we are.'' Hexus' hand reached out of the water, clutching at the air frantically. Then his face appeared, and on it was a genuine look of fear and terror. That is when Maya realize what was going on. ''THE SHARK!'' she screamed. There was blood on the water, Hexus's blood. ''BROTHER!'' Vexus and Nexus screamed in unison. They desperately wanted to save Hexus, but were afraid to go into the water, and for good reason. The shark held every advantage in the water, and would surely kill anyone foolish enough to challenge it.

Ky grabbed the rope and threw it into the water. ''Hexus, grab the rope!'' he called. Boomer and Maya joined him, and Vexus and Nexus did likewise. A torn arm reached out of the water, and locked its grip around the rope. ''PULL!'' Ky yelled, and everyone tugged at the line. But the shark tugged at the opposite end of the rope, nearly pulling Team Stax, along with Vexus and Nexus, into a wet grave. For several long moments, this tug of war continued, until at last the shark relented, relinquishing its grip on poor Hexus. ''We got him!'' Ky exclaimed as he felt the weight lessen on the other end of the rope. Vexus and Nexus sighed with relief. That relief turned into horror, as they saw what came out of the ocean. Hexus' arm, severed at the shoulder.

**To be continued...**


	3. Chapter 3: Grieving Hearts

**Chapter 3**

Vexus and Nexus, overwhelmed with horror and grief, fell to their knees, an ashen pall to their features. Ashen too were the faces of Ky, Maya and Boomer, who stood a good four feet away from where the severed limb was lying on the deck.

For a long while, no one said anything; all that could be heard were the waves smashing against the strong hull of the X-caper, and the occasional distant caw of a seagull. ''It looks synthetic'' Maya said, breaking the silence, and pointing at the pool of blood that had formed around the severed appendage, ''so you guys are robots then.'' This was more of an observation than an actual question; she had her answer splattered over the deck in front of her after all.

Vexus and Nexus stood up abruptly, casting icy cold glares Maya's way. ''This is your doing!'' they said in unison, pointing accusingly at the blue haired warrior, ''you kicked Hexus into the water, so that he might be devoured by that monster.'' Before Maya could answer, Ky spoke up: ''Hexus did this to himself, put the blame where it belongs.'' ''Yeah'' Boomer exclaimed, ''this isn't Maya's fault at all.''

Maya said nothing. Anger welled up within her, smothering any sympathy she might have felt for the Hiverax. How dared they blame her for what happened; Hexus was to blame, not her. Suddenly, Maya's amber eyes turned a purple hue. How dared they. Maybe Hexus deserved the fate that befell him. She was entertaining thoughts of stacking up and blasting Vexus and Nexus into the water, to reunite them with their brother, in the pit of hell. That last thought brought her back to reality, and her eyes reverted back to normal. Her anger began to dwindle, and was eventually replaced by sympathy for Vexus and Nexus, who had just lost their brother.

''I think vengeance would be in order, don't you think brother? I agree brother, I believe that is what Hexus would have wanted.'' The e-teens dropped into the customary bow for a kairu challenge. ''Challenge not accepted'' Ky said, arms crossed over his chest. Vexus and Nexus looked as if they were going to explode, then they calmed. Vexus, grim-faced, stooped and reverently picked up the severed appendage. ''Rest assured, this is not over – Maya.'' With that said, they took off into the sky, disappearing from sight in a few seconds.

Ky sighed. ''I can't help but feel sorry for them. They are total jerks, but they didn't deserve this.'' Boomer and Maya nodded. Mookee came up onto the deck and almost fainted when he saw the blood. ''What happened here?'' he cried; then he took note of Maya's wounded arm. ''Maya – are you okay – you've lost a lot of blood – are you dying? – please don't say you're dying.'' The little alien's facial hair began to grow at an accelerated rate, quickly reaching his knees. ''Mookee calm down, this isn't my blood'' Maya said. Mookee stopped panicking and his facial hair stopped growing. ''Well then, whose is it?'' he asked, studying Ky and Boomer to see if they were wounded. Apart from a few bumps and bruises, they seemed unscathed; much to Mookee's relief. Maya bit her lip, trying to think of some way of breaking the news to her already nervous companion, without causing panic. She thought of nothing and so she just sighed resignedly and looked the little alien in the eye. ''Hexus is dead'' she said. Mookee just shrugged. Maya was surprised at the sheer bluntness of the little alien's reply. ''Hexus is dead'' she repeated, thinking that perhaps Mookee had misunderstood her straightforward statement. Mookee just shrugged again, uncaring for dead Hexus and his grieving brothers. ''Well, we all have to go sometime'' he said. The comment hit the three warriors harder than Lokar ever could. Mookee crossed his arms in front of his chest and turned away, evading three incredulous glances coming his way.

Mookee went down into the X-caper, then came back up, holding a mop. ''By the way you guys, the ship is good to go; I just need to clean this up and then we can be on our way.'' The three warriors nodded and went down into the X-caper. Mookee soon joined them, and off they went, speeding towards their destination.

**To be continued...**


	4. Chapter 4: A hunt for kairu

**Chapter 4**

**It has taken some time, but I have finally finished writing this chapter. I hope you enjoy. **

Maya was standing at the window, watching the waves as the X-caper passed them by, when Ky walked up to her. ''How are you feeling?'' he asked, taking up a position beside her. ''Just a little frazzled I guess'' she replied. A troubled look found its way onto her face. Ky noted the look, and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. ''Look, the thing with Hexus...'' he began, ''no one blames you for what happened.'' ''Except for Vexus and Nexus'' Maya corrected. ''You know how those guys are. Don't let them get you down'' Ky said. Maya forced a smile, then a troubled look found its way onto her face once more. ''Actually'' she began, ''that is not what troubles me. When I was hanging over the ocean, I felt anger building up within me; intense anger, such as I have never felt before. I can only go by what my senses tell me, and my senses tell me that this anger was not normal.'' ''Hexus almost killed you back there'' Ky said, ''you have every right to be angry.'' Maya looked down at her feet and sighed. ''You're right I guess'' she said.

Maya blushed suddenly, and a wide smile found its way onto her face. That is when Ky realized that he was still touching her shoulder. He coughed apologetically and blushed. He proceeded to remove his hand but Maya stopped him, putting her hand on top of his, holding it in place. Time seemed to stand still. Neither of them said a word; then again, no words were needed.

xxxxx

Boomer peered intently through the windshield, a smile widening on his face. ''Land ho!'' he exclaimed, as soon as he caught sight of the black sand shores of Iceland. Ky and Maya rushed to join him, as did Mookee.

Boomer had initially planned to land on the beach, but Maya had pointed out that it was low tide, and that they should look for another place to touch down, lest the ship would be swept away by the ocean when the tide came back in. And so they landed on a hillock overlooking the beach.

Team Stax set out immediately, going inland, soon coming to a wooden fence, encompassing a field. On the field, they could see an elderly man and two younger men, raking hay. Boomer, who had been born and raised on a farm, basked in the spectacle. ''Hello there!'' Ky called, and one of the men, apparently the youngest of the three, broke off from the group and came their way, taking up a position before Team Stax, the fence in between. He was tall and lean, with wheat colored hair and blue eyes. ''Hello,'' the young man greeted, with a thick accent. ''My name is Ky, and this is Boomer and Maya,'' Ky said. ''My name is Hoskuld,'' the young man said, ''pleased to meet you.'' Boomer glanced at the meadow. ''Good hay?'' he asked. ''Indeed,'' Hoskuld replied, also casting a glance the meadow's way.

Maya's knees buckled abruptly, as a wave of nausea washed over her. ''Guys, I'm having a vision'' she said, closing her eyes. In her head, Maya could see an old plough, resting against the back of a wooden shed. A few moments later, she opened her eyes again. ''What did you see?'' Ky asked, ''the kairu?'' Maya nodded, pointing towards a solitary shack atop a hill, across from them, beyond the field. ''Behind that shed'' she said.

A perplexed look found its way onto Hoskuld's face. ''What's kairu?'' he asked. It was Maya who answered. ''It's a kind of – mystical energy force throughout the universe.'' Hoskuld crossed his arms over his chest, his face telling the three warriors that he simply did not understand. ''And what might that have to do with our tool shed?'' he asked. ''If you allow us to look behind the shed, we can show you'' Boomer said.

Hoskuld looked at each of them in turn, then nodded his assent. He led the three warriors over the field, and up the hill to where the shed was, and as Maya had previously said, the relic, an old plough, was resting against its back wall, glowing with energy. ''It belonged to my great grandfather,'' Hoskuld said, his hands resting on his hips.

Team Stax took up their x-readers and pointed them at the relic. From the corner of her eye, Maya noticed a disquieted look on Hoskuld's face. ''Don't worry,'' she said comfortingly, ''the plough will not be harmed.'' The young man smiled and nodded, obviously relieved. Maya's attention went back to the plough then, and to the energy within. ''Now, let's drain this thing and head home,'' she said.

Hoskuld watched in amazement as the energy within the plough was sucked out of it and then absorbed by the peculiar devices. He was not the only spectator, for his younger sister Sigrid, and their dog Halfdane, came running up the hill towards the shed.

''Awesome,'' Ky exclaimed, ''I got _lightning blade_.'' ''_Chemaster clone_,'' Maya said, ''I needed that.'' ''And I got _man-o-war_,'' Boomer exclaimed, ''wicked.''

Hoskuld cleared his throat abruptly, catching the attention of the three warriors. Beside him stood a young girl, around the age of eight by the look of it, with hair the color of wheat and blue eyes, trademarks that seemed to be rather prominent in this family. Beside her stood an Icelandic Sheepdog. ''This is my sis–'' Hoskuld began, but was cut short by his impertinent sibling. ''My name is Sigrid,'' she said, ''and this is Halfdane, my best friend.'' She patted the dog on the head. ''What might your names be?''

''I'm Ky, the leader of Team Stax, and these are my teammates, Maya and Boomer.''

Boomer went down on one knee. ''Come here boy,'' he said, hand extended, and the dog came to him. Boomer patted him on the head, and motioned for Ky and Maya to do the same. Ky similarly went down on one knee, and patted the dog's muscular neck. Maya went down on her knees, and put her hand on the dog's shoulder. But as her hand connected, the dog let out a yelp, and bolted away, seemingly frightened.

Maya's hand recoiled. Sigrid spun on her heel, and ran down the slope, calling for the dog to stop. ''What did – what did I do?''Maya stuttered, bewildered as to why the dog would be frightened of her. ''I do not know,'' Hoskuld replied, seeming equally perplexed, ''he has never acted like that before.''

A worried look found its way onto Maya's face, a look that Hoskuld noted. ''So –'' he began, trying to change the subject and lighten the mood, ''what will you do with the energy, now that you have obtained it?'' Boomer was about to answer, when one of the men on the meadow called something to Hoskuld in Icelandic. He called something back and looked at Team Stax apologetically. ''Father wants to see me,'' he said. ''Did I get you into trouble?'' Maya asked nervously, but Hoskuld's incoming toothy smile put her back at ease. ''No,'' he said assuredly, ''father simply wants me to get back to work.'' Hoskuld's father called again.

''Well –'' Ky said, extending his hand, ''I guess this is goodbye.'' Hoskuld shook that hand, ''goodbye and farewell.'' He shook hands with Boomer and Maya, then spun on his heel and bounded away, down the slope.

''Well –'' Ky said, ''I guess we better be going too.'' Team Stax went down the slope, over the field and back to the X-caper. Soon they were up and away, headed for home, large exhaust pipes leaving white contrails.

xxxxx

Lokar lounged in his immense throne, watching the approach of Vexus and Nexus with more than a passing interest. They were coming back empty-handed more frequently now, so he would not be surprised to find that they did not have his kairu, but the fact that their brother was not with them, inseparable as they were, intrigued him more than a little.

''We have returned, master,'' Vexus and Nexus said in unison, bowing low. Lokar eyed the e-teens squarely. ''And a member short it would seem,'' he said at length, ''where is Hexus?'' Vexus and Nexus exchanged grave glances. ''It grieves us to inform you master, that our brother perished during our latest quest.''

''I see,'' Lokar said, ''how did he die?'' It was Vexus who answered. ''It was Maya who did him in,'' he said, ''she threw him into shark-infested water, where he was devoured.'' Nexus took up Hexus' severed appendage and presented it to his master, ''this is all that remains.'' Lokar took it and looked it over, then he nodded absently.

Vexus and Nexus exchanged glances. ''Master,'' they began, ''we would ask for your permission to take revenge on the person who wrought this upon our brother.'' Lokar eyed the two e-teens, his angular face twisted in wicked glee, ''permission granted.''

Vexus and Nexus, grinning ominously, went out of the immense chamber, happy that they would get a chance to repay Maya for all she had wrought. Little did they suspect that they would never return.

**To be continued...**

**I do not know when I will be able to update, but until then, see you later. **


	5. Chapter 5: The Monastery

**It has been a while since I last updated. I've been suffering from writer´s block recently (that and I've been busy with other things). I was going to make this a very long chapter, but due to the writer's block, I decided against that, and instead, I decided to split it into two chapters. So, without further adieu, here it is. **

**Chapter 5**

Master Boddai sat on the floor in his room; legs crossed and hands folded in his lap. Before him, on the floor, there lay a small jade-statuette, intricately carved into the likeness of a guardian-lion. The old master closed his eyes and concentrated. The jade-statuette began to shake slightly, then it levitated into the air, rising two feet and then hovering in place.

Suddenly, the door to his room slid open. ''Hey there master Boddai,'' Mookee greeted as he walked into the room, Team Stax in tow, ''what's shakin?'' Master Boddai opened his eyes in shock and a startled gasp escaped his mouth. The jade-statuette came crashing down, shattering into pieces. ''Whoops,'' Mookee said apologetically, ''didn't mean to startle you.''

''Mookee,'' master Boddai said evenly, ''how many times am I going to have to tell you not to barge in like that?'' The little alien shifted nervously from one foot to the other, all the while keeping his gaze on his toes, like a child that could not bare being scolded. Master Boddai noted Mookee's disquieted expression, and, not wanting him to feel bad, he decided to change the subject and lighten the mood.

''Mookee,'' master Boddai said, and the alien, thinking another scolding to be at hand, blanched, ''could you make me some tea?'' An eager smile widened on Mookee's face. ''I'm on it master B,'' he said, ''and don't worry about your statue. Duct-tape can solve anything.'' That said, the little alien exited the room, an obvious spring in his step.

''And now to the business at hand,'' master Boddai said, ''it would seem that your mission was a success.'' Ky nodded, as he handed his x-reader to master Boddai, the gadget emanating a faint bluish-white-glow, ''we got the kairu.'' Master Boddai took the x-reader and looked it over, seeming pleased, ''you have done well, my young warriors.'' Ky, the most egotistical member of Team Stax, put his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest.

Master Boddai suddenly noticed Maya's wounded arm. ''Maya, what happened to you?'' he asked, concerned. The three members of Team Stax exchanged grave glances, then Maya spoke up. ''We were just about to tell you,'' she said, ''something happened on the way to Iceland. We were knocked out of the sky by the Hiverax, and we crash-landed in the Atlantic Ocean. We battled the e-teens and won, but I was wounded, and Hexus –'' Maya paused for a few moments, then she continued. ''Hexus died. He fell into the ocean, where he was eaten by a great white.''

''This is grave news indeed,'' master Boddai said, rubbing his square-chin. While he was relieved that none of his students had died, he was concerned that this experience might haunt them for the remainder of their young lives.

''So, what do we do now?'' Boomer asked. ''I'll put the kairu someplace safe,'' master Boddai began, ''as for the three of you, you should go get some rest.'' Ky, Maya and Boomer bowed to their master, then exited the room.

Master Boddai remained in the room, a worried expression showing clearly on his face. He had not been startled by Mookee, for the little alien had barged into his private-quarters so many times that the old master had developed an immunity to his intrusions. What had startled him, however, was the profound uneasiness that had descended upon him when Maya entered the room.

Master Boddai shook his head, dismissing his unease as yet another symptom of his weakened state. A short while later, Mookee arrived with the tea.

xxxxx

Having donned her pajamas, Maya slumped down onto her bed, thoroughly exhausted, and ready for some much needed sleep. She could hear Ky and Boomer in the living-room section of the X-caper, where they were playing a video-game, and judging by the sound of it, Ky was having his butt handed to him by Boomer, as was usually the case when the two faced off.

Maya, ignoring the noises made by the two boys, found a comfortable position, and soon enough, she fell asleep.

xxxxx

Maya awoke some time later, feeling a little light-headed. She sat up in her bed, but fell down almost immediately. ''A vision,'' she managed to say, before an image of an old log emanating a familiar bluish-white glow appeared in her mind. ''Kairu,'' she said, when the dizziness at last receded, ''in the forest nearby.''

Maya changed into her kairu-hunting clothes, collected her x-com and x-reader, then went out into the hallway. She came to a halt in front of Ky and Boomer's room, thinking to knock on the door and wake her friends, that they might search for the kairu together.

But a voice in Maya's head advised her against that course of action, and, thinking it to be her own subconscious, she took the advise, quietly moving past the door, and out of the ship; bolting into the dark night outside; alone.

xxxxx

Vexus and Nexus sat in the boughs of a wide oak-tree, overlooking a glade. In the center of the glade lay an old log, covered with moss and fungi, its bluish-white glow made all the more distinct by the darkness of the forest-night. Their trap had been set; now all they had to do, was wait.

**To be continued...**

**I can not be sure when the next chapter will be ready, but I have a feeling that it will not take as long as it took this one.**


	6. Chapter 6: Malice

**I had a feeling that it would not take as long to write this chapter as it did the last one. Turns out I was right, and I find it somewhat ironic, because this chapter is almost four times as long as the last one. Anyway, on with the story. I hope you have as much fun reading it as I had writing it. **

**Chapter 6**

Maya slowly made her way along an ancient forest-trail, littered by twigs and pine-cones. Here and there, tree-roots stuck out of the ground, like tentacles, snagging at the clothes and feet of people who passed by. Not that many people came to this place; only three people ever traveled along this trail: master Boddai, with his morning and evening-strolls; Mookee with his collecting of pine-cones; and of course Maya, who, like her master, sometimes went on a morning or evening-stroll through the forest.

This time around, however, Maya was not having a leisurely stroll through the woods, rather she was searching for something; an old log infused with kairu-energy. She had seen the deposit in a vision, and had gone out in search of it. Ky and Boomer were not with her, for they had been sleeping when she had had the vision, and following her own subconscious, or so she thought, Maya had decided not to disturb them, and go out alone.

Maya was beginning to regret that now; not because she was afraid of being alone in the woods at night; to the contrary, she much preferred being alone while walking in the forest; but simply because she felt that she was keeping them away from the kairu, and thus preventing them from attaining new x-drives. More than once had she thought of going back to the monastery, to wake her friends and set out again, but each time, a voice in her head told her not to, and Maya, thinking it to be her own subconscious, took the advise and kept going.

Maya came to a spot where the trail forked in two, one path going straight ahead, and the other leading to the right; slightly down-hill, and the young woman knew that that trail would eventually take her to the bank of a nearby river. Maya went down on one knee, closed her eyes, and pressed the open palm of her right hand against the ground, and soon enough, she could feel the subtle vibrations emanated by the kairu relic. She fell deeper into concentration, and could soon discern the direction of the deposit. Maya straightened, then walked down the path to the right.

A few minutes later, Maya spied a faint bluish-white glow outlining some brush off in the distance. Recognising the glow as that of kairu-energy, the young woman sprinted in the direction of the brush, then jumped over it and into a glade on the other side. The source of the glow was in the center of the glade, an old log covered with moss and fungi. Maya, smiling widely, walked over to the log and took out her x-reader, which had been resting comfortably in its pouch, belted on the young woman's hip. Maya pointed the gadget the log's way.

''Maya, how lovely to see you again,'' a pair of voices said in unison. Maya froze in place, and she instinctively looked up into the boughs of an oak-tree, and there she saw them; two shadowy silhouettes, resting comfortably on the stout branches. ''And you've come alone. This is going to be easier than we thought.''

''What do you guys want?'' Maya asked, taking a cautious step backwards.

The Hiverax exchanged glanzes, then they jumped down from the tree, Nexus landing behind Maya, and Vexus landing in front of her, both wearing the same angry expression. ''What we want is recompense for our brother,'' Vexus said, dropping into a bow, as did his brother, ''kairu-challenge!''

Maya, recognising that the Hiverax would attack her even though she would decline the challenge, dropped into a similar bow, ''challenge accepted!'' The wind picked up, blowing twigs and pine-cones about, forked lightning streaking the sky.

The three combatants stacked up, though they did not transform into their monsters. ''FANGRAX!... NEURAX!'' Vexus and Nexus shouted, assuming battle-stances. ''HARRIER!'' Maya shouted, then dropping into a defensive crouch.

Maya, recognising that she was at a sore disadvantage; two against one, dove into a sidelong roll, coming up in a dash, then sprinting out of the glade, hoping to find a position from where she could ambush the e-teens. Her plan was foiled, however, for Vexus, using his innate powers of teleportation, appeared right in front of her. Maya stopped dead in her tracks.

''SHADOW PLAGUE!'' Vexus shouted, opening wide his mouth, and a gout of grayish-green smoke poured out. Maya sprang into a forward sommersault, right over the inncoming attack, landing in front of Vexus. Quick as a cat, she dropped into a crouch, then spun, one foot coming high, and connecting squarely on the side of the e-teen's head. Vexus toppled over, landing in a bush, and Maya was on him in an instant, launching a series of lightning-quick jabs into the fallen e-teen's chest.

Maya saw a change come over Vexus' face then, his nose elongating into a lizard-like muzzle. The young woman jumped back, as the e-teen swiped at her with his hand, and on that hand, Maya could see sharp, scythe-like talons. Vexus stood up, then grew tall, towering over the young woman, his skin becoming scaly and green in hue, with glowing green stripes, and spikes portruded from his back, tail and head. As Vexus' transformation into Fangrax came to a completion, he roared triumphantly into the night, then turned his yellowish-green eyes on Maya.

Maya heard a second roar, this one coming from the glade; where Nexus had been.

''LIGHTNING STORM!'' Maya shouted, and a red bolt of forked lightning shot out from her hand, and smote Vexus in the chest, sending the twelve foot tall beast stumbling backwards and then falling, uprooting a tree in the process. The young woman did not get the chance to take advantage of the fallen e-teen, for another monster came charging at her, ten foot tall, with scaly black skin, lined by glowing blue stripes, and with several spiny quills portruding from its lizard-like head.

''CONFUSION SPIRAL!'' bellowed Nexus, now in the guise of Neurax, and a column of spiralling blue energy burst from his now open mouth. Maya skipped to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack, then she charged up its length, stopping before Nexus. The monster lifted a huge, clawed hand, thinking to squash Maya where she stood, but the young woman dove between its widespread legs, just as the hand smashed down behind her.

''HARRIER!'' Maya shouted, springing into the air. Great bird-like wings sprouted from her back, and she grew ten feet tall. Her face elongated into a sharp beak, and her skin sprouted razor-sharp, black and green feathers. Maya came up fast, rushing past the forerst-canopy, and then looking down on Nexus and his brother, who had gotten back to his feet.

''WINDBLAST!'' Maya shouted, and with a tremendous beat of her wings, she sent a powerful gust of wind the e-teen's way. The attack took Nexus off his feet, hurling him backwards, past his brother, and then he crashed into a tree, uprooting it.

Vexus looked up at Maya, and narrowed his yellowish-green eyes. ''SHADOW CLAW!'' he roared, extending his hand towards the young woman, and a claw made of red energy shot out from his hand. Maya did not manage to evade the e-teen's attack this time, and it hit her squarely in the chest. All strength left her wings, and she plummeted down, crashing through the forest-canopy, and landing heavily on the ground.

A great leap brought Vexus to where Maya had landed, and then the beating began; the e-teen raining blow after blow on the young woman. Nexus walked over to his brother, but did not part-take in the beating, rather he stood by and watched, his reptilian features twisted in wicked glee. Maya managed to prop herself up on one elbow, and as she did, Vexus spun about, lightning-quick, and his lithe, whip-like tail hit the young woman squarely across the chest, with enough force to lift her off the ground, smashing her against a sturdy oak.

Green energy enveloped Maya, and a few moments later she was back in her human-form, slumped against the tree, blood rolling from the corners of her mouth and nose; darkness creeping into the edges of her vision. With a guttural chuckle, the Hiverax transformed back into their normal, humanoid forms.

The e-teens advanced on Maya. ''Would you like to do the honours, brother?'' Vexus asked, grinning evilly. ''My pleasure, brother,'' came Nexus' reply.

Maya, slipping in and out of consciousness, could feel herself being dragged away from the tree, and then roughly held in a kneeling position by Vexus. She could suddenly feel an exploding pain in her right shoulder, as Vexus brutally twisted her arm behind her back. Nexus walked up in front of her, but she did not see him, for her gaze fell to the ground.

''Look at him,'' Vexus hissed into Maya's ear, roughly pulling at her hair, jerking her head back so that she had no choise but to look at Nexus. The blue-eyed wretch, grinning evilly, lifted his hand, and it began to glow with a bluish light. ''For all you have wrought,'' he said, glanzing at, and recieving a nod from, his brother, ''justice.''

Justice. Had she had the strength, Maya would have laughed, for she had done nothing to deserve this; indeed, all she had done was save her own life, by kicking Hexus, who had been trying to kill her, into the ocean. It was not her fault that Hexus; damned Hexus, had met his untimely end in the jaws of a great-white; had he just listened to her, he would be alive, and none of this would be happening. Maya looked into the eager visage of Nexus, and bile welled up in her throat. And so she would die; killed as recompense for a crime that she had not even committed. She would never see her friends again; she would never see Ky again. The thought that she would never get the chance to tell Ky how she felt about him, almost broke her.

Maya closed her amber eyes and waited for Nexus to do the deed.

Then she felt something; a slight pull at her consciousness. For a moment she thought that she was losing consciousness again. The pull grew stronger, and she dismissed the notion of unconsciousness, for many times had she lost consciousness during her life, more often than not in a challenge, and this was surely different. Perhaps Nexus had already struck and she was dying. Maya could not dismiss that notion, for she had, of course, never experienced death. To Maya, death seemed the most probable answer. Then she opened her eyes, and saw Nexus looking down at her, poised to strike. She was not dead; nor was she dying. Again she thought about whether or not she was losing consciousness, and again she dismissed the notion as highly improbable. What was happening to her?

The answer came in the form of a voice inside her head.

''Let me out,'' the voice said, ''you can't restrain me anymore.'' Maya could feel the pull at her consciousness increase, and she realised to her horror, that some other will was trying to take control of her body. ''Let me out,'' the voice said again, ''you can't restrain me anymore. Let me out.'' Maya tried to fight back; tried to remain in control of her body, but exhausted as she was, both mentally and physically, she could not keep it up for long. The pull grew stronger. ''Let me out,'' the voice said a third time. ''No!'' Maya shouted, using her physical mouth, ''no!''

The young woman squirmed, but she could not get out of her kneeling pose, and Vexus' grip on her arm remained vise-like. Nexus, thinking that they had broken Maya, and wanting to bask in the misery of the young woman, smiled a wide and wicked smiled.

''No!'' Maya shouted again, and she fought back with all her remaining mental strength, trying desperately to remain in control of her body. She could not win; she knew that beyond any doubt; that this opposing will, this unseen enemy, would emerge victorious.

''Let me out!'' the voice roared, this time using Maya's physical mouth to do so, and the young woman, thoroughly exhausted, physically and mentally, could not resist. The dark spirit took control, shoving Maya's spirit into a darkened corner of her own mind, and holding her there.

A few moments of quiet ensued; with Maya, or rather the dark spirit inhabiting her body, maintaining a kneeling pose before Nexus, and the blue-eyed e-teen, one hand glowing ominously, just standing there, basking in the young woman's fear and anguish. Neither Nexus nor his brother noticed Maya's eyes; no longer the color of amber, but now a ghastly purple hue.

''ROOTS OF DOOM!'' the dark spirit bellowed suddenly, and several tentacle-like roots sprung from the ground, wrapping themselves around the two e-teens, and pulling them down to their knees, holding them in kneeling poses. With Vexus' vise-like grip broken, the dark spirit stood up, its lavender eyes boring into the two e-teens.

''But we had you beaten,'' Nexus protested, his expression incredulous, ''how can this be?'' The dark spirit walked up to the blue-eyed e-teen, taking up a position in front of him. ''You underestimated your opponent,'' it stated, ''you thought me beaten, but I was not.'' The dark spirit's incoming evil smile would have put Lokar to shame. ''Now prepare to pay the price.''

The dark spirit walked up behind Nexus, grabbing the e-teen's hair, and brutally pulling back his head, revealing the exposed neck. It raised its free hand, holding it teasingly above Nexus' ashen face, fingers and thumb forming a rigid **c**. The dark spirit looked at Vexus, savoring the horrified expression the green-eyed e-teen wore, then it turned its attention fully upon Nexus. Faster than the eye could follow, it smote its rigid hand against the e-teen's exposed neck, driving through, and grabbing hold of Nexus' wind-pipe. Then the dark spirit unceremoniously tore out his throat.

The tentacle-like roots holding fast Nexus, retreated back underground, and the e-teen fell to the ground, jerking spasmatically, synthetic blood oozing from the open wound on his neck. Then he grew very still; died, at the feet of the young woman he thought was Maya.

''Brother!'' Vexus screamed, as he watched the life leave Nexus' blue eyes. The dark spirit laughed evilly. ''I'm afraid you'll have to speak louder,'' it said, putting one hand up to its ear, ''else your brother won't hear you over the chorus of tormented souls in the pit of hell.'' It laughed again. Vexus' gaze turned towards the dark spirit inhabiting Maya's body.

''You –,'' the green-eyed e-teen managed to say past the lump of bile in his throat, ''You'll pay for this Maya; I promise.'' The dark spirit turned on Vexus, murder in its lavender eyes. ''Don't you ever call me that name again,'' it snapped, advanding on the green-eyed e-teen; putting its face up against his; less than two inches seperating the two. Vexus cocked his head, not understanding.

''I am not Maya,'' the dark spirit stated, ''that name belongs to the miserable wretch you defeated in your last challenge. I have taken over her body, as recompense for the pain she has caused me. As for my name; I'm Malice.''

The dark spirit clamped its hand over Vexus' face. ''Now that we are properly acquainted, it is time for you to die,'' Malice said, smiling evilly. ''And by the way,'' it added, ''give my regards to Hexus. I did so enjoy manipulating Maya into kicking him into the water.'' Before Vexus had a chance to respond to that last comment, Malice sent a powerful jolt of purple electricity, her inner-kairu, through her arm and into the e-teen's face. His head exploded in a shower of synthetic blood, and Vexus, the last of the Hiverax, fell dead to the ground.

Malice laughed into the night.

A sensation washed over Malice all of a sudden, a slight pull at its consciousness. ''No!,'' it screamed in protest, for the dark spirit knew what the sensation foretold, ''no!'' With each passing moment the pull at its consciousness grew stronger. Malice shrieked then, as it felt a sudden stinging pain in its right eye, and the dark spirit brought up its left hand and pressed it against the eye, trying to alleviate the pain. The pull at its consciousness grew stronger, and as it did, the painful sting in its eye grew more intense. The dark spirit removed its hand from its face then, revealing the eye; no longer the color of lavender, but of an amber color. Malice toppled over, sprawling on the ground, holding its head and growling like some frenzied animal. Then it could hear a voice in its head.

''I am taking control of my body,'' said the voice inside Malice's head; Maya's voice. The dark spirit opened its mouth, thinking to say something but the words became indecipherable, as Maya's spirit battled for control of the mouth.

Something caught Malice's attention then; Vexus' x-reader, lying in a pool of synthetic blood, some eight feet away, and this sparked an idea in the dark spirit's diabolical mind. With a guttural snarl, Malice crawled through the blood, over to where the gadget lay. The dark spirit picked up the x-reader, then rolled over, onto its back, holding the gadget up against the night-sky. ''PSYCHIC FRACTURE!'' it said, though the words were barely decipherable, and a faint violet-hued light enveloped Malice's body. The light grew in intensity, eventually becoming so bright that the physical form within it could not be seen, and then it split in two; two balls of light slowly sliding away from each other.

A short while later, the light began to fade, and as it did, two figures came into view, each an almost exact mirror-image of the other, the only difference being the color of their eyes; lying on the blood-drenched ground, both panting with exhaustion. Both knew that they had to get up; that they had to defeat the other, but neither could move, let alone stand, for they were completely exhausted, both mentally and physically, and so they just lay there.

A few minutes later, though, Malice managed to stand up, and it made its way, on shaky legs, over to where Maya lay, still unable to move or stand. The dark spirit smiled evilly, as it stood over the defenseless young woman. ''And now you die,'' Malice said, reaching down with one hand, thinking to blow Maya's head off, like it had done with Vexus. Maya, knowing what was about to happen, screamed.

''Maya, is that you?'' shouted a voice; a voice familiar to the young woman, ''this is Ky and Boomer. Can you hear us?'' Malice, realising that if she wasted her strength on killing Maya, then it would not be able to escape Ky and Boomer, who it could not beat in a challenge in its weakened state. So the dark spirit straightened and looked down at Maya; the young woman smiling widely.

Malice, one hand stroking its angular chin, thought about its options. It could kill Maya, and how much it wanted to, but then she would not have the strength necessary to escape the young woman's team-mates, and the dark spirit was not overly fond of the idea of doing battle with Ky, a kairu-champion and Maya's love-interest, and Boomer, who was no light-weight either. Malice looked down at Maya, and honestly thought about killing Maya there and then, even though it meant defeat and maybe even death at the hands of Ky, who no doubt had feelings for the young woman. The dark spirit did not kill her, though; its sense of logic overruling its base-urges.

A wide and wicked smile spread across Malice's face then, and the dark spirit took up its x-reader, an exact copy of the one owned by Maya. ''MIRAGE!'' Malice said, pointing the gadget down, and a thin beam of blue energy shot out from it and into the ground. Maya watched as her surroundings began to change; new grass sprouting where old grass had been burnt away, uprooted trees rising to stand straight from the ground, and the dead bodies of Vexus and Nexus, along with the veritable blood-stain, disappearing altogether. There were no signs of battle anywhere. Maya knew that this was only an illusion, though, and the young woman glanzed Malice's way, and saw that the dark spirit held its x-reader over its chest. ''MIRAGE!'' it said again, and this time, Malice's wounds seemed to disappear. Maya then looked into the dark spirit's eyes, and saw to her horror, that they were no longer the color of lavender, but of an amber color.

''I have thought of a better way to make you suffer,'' Malice explained, grinning evilly, ''I will begin by killing your team-mates, and then I will kill master Boddai, and that pipsqueak Mookee; and maybe I'll make some room in my schedule, that I might play with Team Tiro.'' Malice went down on one knee and looked into Maya's amber eyes. ''And then,'' it went on, ''when they have all been dealt with, I shall pay you a visit.''

All that said, the dark spirit straightened, then pointed its x-reader at the young woman. ''PARALYZING BLAST!'' it said, and a translucent glue-like substance oozed from the gadget, thoroughly covering Maya; making her incapable of movement. Ky called out again, but Maya could not answer, for the slime also covered her mouth. Malice smiled an evil smile, then bolted into the night.

**To be continued...**

**I have been waiting to write this chapter for a very long time. I do not know when I'll be able to update next.**


	7. Chapter 7: Purple Eyes

**Chapter 7**

Ky and Boomer were making their winding way along an ancient forest-path, when Maya's scream reached their ears. Ky looked to Boomer, and saw that the stocky man wore a worried expression, similar to his own. ''Maya!'' the young Stax shouted at the top of his lungs, his hands cupped around his mouth, ''Maya, this is Ky and Boomer. Can you hear us?'' They waited for a few seconds, which seemed like minutes to the worried twosome, then they sped off along the forest-path.

Twigs and pine-cones crunched underfoot, and gnarled roots stuck out of the ground, like tentacles, snagging at their feet and clothing, trying desperately to trip them over. Before long the pair came to a fork in the trail; one path going straight ahead, and the other going slightly down-hill and to the right. They decided to go to the right, continuing along that path for a couple of minutes, then, acting completely on instinct, veered off the path, wading through the undergrowth, until at last they came into a small glade, in the center of which lay an old and moss-covered log emanating a bluish-white glow.

''Maya!'' Ky shouted again, ''Maya can you hear us? Speak to us My.''

When no answer came, the young Stax slumped down to his knees, his head tilted back; eyes closed, his arms hanging limp at his sides. Boomer, hating to see his best friend like this, walked up to Ky and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. ''She's okay Ky,'' the big man said, trying hard to believe his own words, ''you just have to –''

He was cut off by Ky. ''If she was okay Boom, then she would have taken the kairu already,'' the young Stax began, his voice somber, his ice-blue eyes moist with tears, ''and you heard her scream.''

Though he could not rightly refute the logic, Boomer felt that he had to at least try to cheer his friend up, that they might look for Maya together. ''But if she fought e-teens and lost,'' he began, ''then wouldn't they have taken the kairu?''

''There are other things to look out for besides e-teens, Boom,'' Ky said, ''maybe she tripped over a root and broke her neck; or maybe she was attacked by some animal; a tiger perhaps.'' The young Stax had to shake his head to force the images conjured by his guesses away. ''Or maybe it were the Hiverax,'' he continued, and the mere mention of the e-teens brought simmeirng fires of anger to his blue eyes, ''right before they departed, they promised Maya that they would get even.'' Ky winced as images of Vexus and Nexus raping Maya before putting her to a slow and painful death assaulted him. ''Don't you remember?''

Boomer did indeed remember. They blamed Maya for the death of their brother, after all, and knowing how the Hiverax viewed the world; how they thought that nothing was ever their fault, Boomer could not rightly dismiss the possibility that the blue-skinned e-teens were behind this.

Little did they realise, that they were being watched.

xxxxx

High up in the boughs of a wide oak-tree; the same tree that the now deceased Hiverax brothers had used as a hiding spot, while they waited for Maya to step into their little trap below, sat Malice, its amber eyes peering down at its prey intently, a wide and wicked smile stretched across its fair face. The dark spirit watched the two boys for a few moments longer, savouring their anguish, then it jumped down from the tree, landing in a bush, not far from the glade, but out of sight of the two boys. Quiet as death, the dark spirit approached the glade, a plan formulating in its mind.

xxxxx

A rustling to the side caught the attention of Ky and Boomer, and the two boys turned as one to regard a familiar brown-skinned, blue-haired young woman with amber-colored eyes, step through a bush and into the glade. ''Maya,'' they said in unison, rushing over to stand before their friend.

''Maya, are you okay?'' Ky asked, ''what happened? We heard you scream.''

''I'm fine, Ky. I could not sleep and so I decided to come out here for a leisurely stroll through the forest to clear my head,'' the young woman explained, ''and then I sensed that a kairu-deposit was nearby. As for my scream, I saw a bee, that's all.'' Ky nodded, seemingly convinced.

Boomer, on the other hand, was not entirely convinced. He could not be certain whether he was just being paranoid or not, but he thought he could fee a subtle coldness emanating from the young woman. He shook his head, dismissing his doubts as the result of too much stress in a single day.

''Now let's get this kairu,'' the young woman said, nodding towards the old log in the center of the glade and drawing nods of consent from the two boys. The trio ringed the old log, drawing their x-readers and pointing the devices at the relic. Thin beams of bluish-white energy shot out form the gadgets, hitting the log, releasing the kairu energy within, and then absorbing it.

As the collecting-process came to an end, their new x-drives appeared on the screens of the small devices. ''Nice, check it out,'' Ky exclaimed, ''I got _cyclone-snare._'' ''_Titanium-hammer,_'' Boomer said, ''yes!'' The two boys were surprised that the young woman did not say what x-drive she got. ''What did you get Maya?'' Ky promted at length. ''I got _magma-blast_,'' she replied.

''Now,'' Ky yawned, ''we should go get some sleep.'' Boomer nodded and the two boys started away, then stopped when they noticed that Maya was not following. They turned around to regard their friend. ''Is something wrong Maya?'' Ky asked, but the young woman only smiled back at him, and while her smile would normally have sent waves of warmth through the love-stricken young man, it now sent a shudder along his spine. ''Maya?'' the blue-eyed young man asked.

''Not quite,'' Malice said, dismissing its mirage attack, that its lavender eyes and wounds, and the signs of carnage about them became visible to the two boys. Ky and Boomer stared dumbfounded at their surroundings; the uprooted trees, the singed grass and tree-bark from what seemed to have been a lightning-strike, and then their attention turned back to the young woman, who was smiling evilly.

The dark spirit dropped into a bow, its lavender eyes boring into the two boys, ''kairu-challenge.'' Ky and Boomer looked at each other, each sporting the same confused expression. ''You do not have to accept it,'' the dark spirit said evenly, ''but know that I'll kill you either way.''

''Maya, what is –'' Ky began, but the dark spirit shot him such a hateful glare that the words died in his mouth. He quickly composed himself, squared his shoulders and looked straight into Malice's lavender eyes. ''I don't know what's controlling you Maya, but know that I will save you,'' Ky said, but the dark spirit only laughed mockingly. ''Dead men are of little help to the living,'' it said.

Ky and Boomer exchanged a glance and a nod, and then they fell into a bow, ''challenge accepted.'' The wind picked up, rustling leaves and blowing twigs and pine-cones about; forks of lightning streaking the sky. The three combatants stacked up, calling upon the power of their monsters, though not transforming into them. ''METANOID!... FROZTOK!'' shouted Ky and Boomer, assuming battle stances. ''DARKROOT!'' shouted Malice, dropping into a defensive crouch.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, not so far away, Maya was trying desperately to break free of the attack that she was stuck in; a slightly translucent, glue-like substance that had her bound and gagged on the ground. She squirmed and squirmed, sharp pains shooting throughout her body in protest, but she did not seem to make any headway in breaking free of the attack. She could hear Ky and Boomer talking with Malice, and though she could not make out any words, the abrupt change in the weather told the young woman that her friends were about to do battle with the dark spirit. Maya struggled more fiercely, but to no avail. She had to help them, the young woman knew, for her friends – thinking it to be a her they were facing – would surely go easy on Malice, and that could only end one way. Maya had to shake her head to force away the images of Ky, lying very still in a pool of blood. She had to help them, she knew.

xxxxx

''SHADOW FLASH!'' bellowed Malice, and a crackling beam of dark-green energy shot out from its outstretched hand. The two boys managed to evade; Boomer diving into a sidelong roll, and Ky jumping up into the low boughs of a nearby tree.

''Sorry Maya this is for your own good,'' Ky said, jumping down from the tree, landing in front of Malice, less than twenty feet separating the two, ''MANDI-BLADES!'' The young man thrust forth his hands, and a jaw-trap made of red energy shot out from them. ''GRAVITY CRUSH!'' the dark spirit shouted, and a barrage of red energy-balls shot out from its outstretched hands. The two attacks smashed together, culminating in an explosion that staggered both combatants.

Malice, with its lower center of gravity, regained its balance almost immediately, and was about to charge at Ky, but changed its mind as a movement off to the side caught its attention. It jumped back, just as a beam of blue energy hit the ground where it had been standing, leaving the spot frozen.

Boomer came charging at Malice. ''LIGHTNING STORM!'' the dark spirit shouted, reaching out with one arm, and a forked bolt of red lightning shot out from its hand. Boomer managed to jump over the attack, and as he touched down, he dove to the side, narrowly avoiding a second bolt aimed his way. ''BOREALIS BLAST!'' he shouted, and a beam of multicolored energy shot out from his extended hands. Malice did not manage to dodge in time, and found itself hit by the attack, the sheer force of it throwing the dark spirit backwards, to slam against the trunk of a tree.

xxxxx

Maya could hear wood creak in protest, as something slammed into a tree. A few seconds later, the glue-like substance holding her fell away; dissolved into nothingness, leaving the young woman free to move. Not one to argue with good fortune, Maya resolutely got back to her feet, and walked towards the sound of battle, determined to help her friends defeat the evil that was Malice.

xxxxx

Boomer winced, for the young woman did not stand up, rather she lay motionless, slumped against the tree. Thinking that perhaps he had hit her too hard, the stocky man rushed over to her, Ky close behind. ''Maya,'' Boomer said, nervously twiddling his fingers, ''are you okay?''

The answer came in the form of Malice, kicking up with one foot, to connect squarely on Boomer's groin, dropping the big man in a miserable heap to the ground. The dark spirit sprang back to its feet, then launched itself into a forward somersault, right over the two boys, touching down behind them and bolting out of the glade and into the night.

''Go!'' Boomer squeaked, clutching his bruised man-parts. Ky was at first reluctant to leave his friend behind, but then he thought about Maya, and with a nod, be bolted into the night, in pursuit of the dark spirit.

Ky ran as fast as he could through the forest, stumbling often on roots and stones, all but hidden beneath the dense undergrowth. He could not see the young woman, but he could hear her, some distance ahead of him, similarly stumbling on roots and stones. He eventually came upon a trail, where he found footprints – that seemed to him, conveniently easy to track – which he followed to a bush; and he stepped through the bush and onto a river-bank.

There stood Malice, its purple eyes boring into the young man, a wicked smile stretched across its beautiful face. ''DARK EARTH!'' the dark spirit bellowed, and a muddy substance, greenish-black in hue, oozed from the palms of its hands. Ky did not manage to dodge in time, and was hit by the attack, the mud sticking to him, making him unable to move his legs.

Malice advanced on Ky. ''Maya, fight whatever has a hold on you,'' the young man pleaded, ''you don't have to do this.'' The dark spirit stopped dead in its tracks, locking stares with Ky. ''You're right,'' it said at length, silently using a mirage attack to make its eyes seem amber-colored. A hint of a smile found its way onto Ky's angular face. Then the dark spirit dismissed the illusion, that its eyes reverted back to their normal lavender hue. Malice walked up behind Ky, grabbing at his hair and brutally jerking back his head, exposing his neck. ''But I want to,'' the dark spirit whispered into Ky's ear, then gently bit down on his earlobe, sending a shiver along the young man's spine, that was in no way pleasant.

Ky watched in horror as Malice raised its hand up above his face, its stiffened fingers forming a **c**, and the young man knew what was about to happen. The thought that he was going to be killed by the woman he loved, stole the strength from his muscles, and a single tear ran down his cheek.

But the strike never came. Instead, a ball of red energy slammed into Malice, lifting the dark spirit off the ground, and hurling it screaming into the river. Ky looked to the side, to where his rescuer stood, and was confused, but also relieved to see that there was Maya, her amber eyes set with determination, smoke wafting from her extended hands. Behind her, Boomer stood gingerly, still clutching his bruised man-parts, his face a mask of pain and confusion.

Maya rushed over to Ky and knelt beside him, placing her hands on the greenish-black mud holding fast his legs. Her hands glowed with a bluish-white light, her inner-kairu, and the mud-bindings dissolved into nothingness. Ky looked at Maya, his face a mix of happiness and confusion. ''I'll explain on the way home,'' the young woman said, and both boys nodded.

xxxxx

A hundred meters down the river, Malice managed to claw itself onto the bank, the dark spirit's purple eyes burning with primal hatred. It stood up, shivering; its muscles aching from the cold. It thought about tracking down the three friends, but soon decided against that course, instead, it began looking for a place where it might spend the night and gather its strength. Maya and her little friends might have defeated the dark spirit this time, but the battle had just begun, and it would be a battle unlike any they had ever seen before.

**To be continued...**

**As usual, I can't say when I'll be able to update next, but until then, see you guys later :)**


	8. Chapter 8: Back to the Monastery

**Chapter 8**

On their way back to the monastery, Maya recounted her tale to Ky and Boomer, the two boys listening intently to the young woman's every word, wincing every now and then, as she described something particularly unpleasant. ''And that's how it ended,'' Maya said, ''with me using a _sonic boom_ attack to save Ky from certain death at the hands of Malice, my evil look-alike.''

Ever the egotistical one, Ky put his hands on his hips, puffed out his chest and threw back his head. ''Please,'' he said, a ridiculous, prideful look on his face, ''I had everything under control.'' A mischievous smile stretched across Boomer's round face. ''Really?'' the stocky man asked, ''last I checked, you were crying.'' Ky's chest deflated in an instant, his arms dropping to hang limp at his sides; a shameful look on his face. ''I did not,'' the blue-eyed young man snapped back in protest, trying desperately to salvage some of his dignity. Boomer just shrugged.

''Anyway,'' Maya said at length, ''how did you guys realize that I was gone?'' Ky, welcoming the change in the subject, was quick to answer. ''A kairu-alert went off in the X-caper,'' he said, ''we were going to wake you, but realized that you were gone. We spoke to master B, and he had not seen you since before you went to bed. So we figured that you came out here in search of the kairu; turns out we were right.''

''And a good thing you came,'' Maya said, her expression suddenly turning grim, ''Malice had me trapped; defenseless on the ground, and would surely have killed me, had the two of you not showed up.'' The mere thought that Maya might have died, made Ky's face grow very tight.

''Speaking of you know who,'' Boomer said, ''do you think she made it out of the water?'' Maya, her expression grim, did not answer right away, instead she stared into the night as if she expected to see the dark spirit staring back at her. ''She's alive,'' the young woman said at length, and the two boys exchanged glances. ''How do you know?'' Boomer asked. ''I just do,'' Maya replied, ''call it intuition. And besides, we must assume that she's alive until we have undeniable evidence that she is dead. We can't afford to let our guard down, not against an enemy like Malice.''

An hour or so later, Team Stax exited the forest, the sky opening up before them, rosy-purple with the pre-dawn. Ahead of them in the distance, beyond several small, arching bridges, loomed the monastery. ''We should go tell master Boddai what happened,'' Maya reasoned, and the two boys nodded their assent.

A sudden fear assaulted Maya, as she thought back to when Malice had told her its plan: to kill her team-mates, and then go after master Boddai, Mookee and the three members of Team Tiro.

''No!'' Maya shouted, and the young woman ran towards the monastery with all speed, Ky and Boomer, having guessed what their friend was thinking, in close pursuit. The trio crossed the bridges, and eventually came into the courtyard, where they found, to their ultimate relief, master Boddai, overseeing a sparring-match between Gia and Apex, Balistar sitting off to the side, taking notes.

Master Boddai turned to regard his three approaching warriors, and his eyes went wide indeed, as he noticed Maya's injuries. ''Maya,'' the old man gasped – and how old master Boddai seemed at that moment – ''what happened to you?'' The young woman said nothing, rather she strode forth and wrapped her master in a tight hug, finally allowing her emotions to take control, she sobbed into his chest.

A few minutes later, Maya managed to compose herself enough, so that she could tell master Boddai of everything that had transpired: of her encounter with the Hiverax, of Malice and how it had brutally murdered Vexus and Nexus, before setting out to kill her team-mates, and last but not least, of how it had all ended, with her saving Ky from certain death by blasting the dark spirit into the river.

When Maya had told her tale to master Boddai, she pushed the old master to arms length and looked him in the eye, and the young woman could see horror on his face, and, something else too; recognition perhaps? ''Come,'' master Boddai said at length, motioning for the three friends to follow him, ''I will get you something for your injuries.''

Ky, Maya and Boomer followed master Boddai to the healing sanctuary, a two story building with yellow-painted walls and a red tile-roof. On either side of the building's single ornate door, hung a banner, emblazoned with the insignia of the Redakai. Master Boddai moved to the door and pushed it open, and walked inside, the three members of Team Stax following close behind. The building's lower level consisted of but a single room, with a spiraling stairway allowing for access to the second level, in the far left corner of the chamber. Several wood and glass cabinets holding vials of various makes, shapes and sizes, lined the walls.

Master Boddai approached one such cabinet and retrieved from it a vial of bluish liquid. ''This is a healing-salve,'' the old master explained, as he handed it to Maya, ''apply it to your injuries, and they will mend faster.'' The young woman did as instructed, pouring a small amount of the vial's contents onto the palm of her left hand. The bluish liquid felt cool to the touch. Maya then rubbed her hands briskly together, before applying the salve to her bruised arms and face. The young woman felt a painful sting as the liquid came into contact with her cuts and bruises, but the pain eventually began to dwindle, and as it did, so too did the pain from her injuries. Before long she could feel no pain at all in her arms and face, only the soothing coolness of the healing-salve.

Maya thanked master Boddai, then went to her room to apply the healing-salve to the remainder of her injuries. Meanwhile, Ky and Boomer handed the kairu energy collected on their last quest to their master, then they each took a shower. Boomer, thoroughly exhausted, went to sleep, but Ky stayed up, reflecting on the day's events; watching the sun climbing higher into the sky.

An hour or so later, Ky was joined by Maya. ''Hey there Ky,'' the young woman greeted, a warm smile on her face. Her injuries were gone; completely healed by the healing-salve, and she had showered, so she was no longer caked with dirt and dried blood. ''Hey there Maya,'' Ky replied, his face brightening considerably, ''how are you feeling?'' The young woman looked down at her completely healed arms. ''Pretty good, all things considered,'' she said, ''how about you?'' The young Stax straightened. ''I'm good,'' he replied, ''though I can't say the same for Boomer. Poor guy took a hit to the kiwis, and probably won't be able to walk straight for a few days.'' The two friends shared a heartfelt laugh.

''Speaking of Boomer,'' Maya said at length, a wide smile on her face, ''he tells me that you were kind-of out of sorts while I was missing.'' Ky, caught completely off-guard by the remark, began blushing uncontrollably. His mind raced down a hundred avenues, as he thought of how to respond, but he calmed then, as he noticed that Maya too was blushing. A few moments passed by, with neither of them saying a word, but then, to Ky's surprise and great delight, Maya leaned in and kissed him, full on the lips.

A few seconds later, though, Maya pulled away, looking Ky straight in the eye, a warm, beaming smile on her face. Then she leaned in again, kissing Ky passionately, wrapping her arms around his neck, and he responded by wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer. This time, the kiss went on and on, and Ky knew, that he loved Maya; this young woman who had been his friend for so many years, and he also knew that if anything were ever to happen to her, he would never be the same again.

**To be continued...**

**Before I forget, those who have watched Yu-Gi-Oh! may find Malice (the character, not the story) familiar, for she is greatly inspired by one of the show's villains: Yami Marik.**


	9. Chapter 9: Revelations

**This chapter was originally supposed to be half as long as it is now, but I just couldn't stop writing. Anyway, I hope you enjoy :)**

**Chapter 9**

An awkward sight greeted Ky as he entered the room he and Boomer shared in the X-caper; Boomer seated in one of the room's couches, holding a bag of ice against his bruised parts. ''I brought you this,'' Ky said, retrieving a vial of some pink liquid from his pocket and presenting it to his friend, ''it will lessen the pain.'' Boomer took the vial and looked it over, then removed the cap, thinking to pour some of its contents onto the palm of his hand, as Maya had done, but Ky stopped him with an upraised hand. ''No,'' the young Stax said, ''its for drinking.''

Boomer was about to take a sip, when a terrifying thought crossed his mind. Was this really Ky, or was it perhaps Malice in disguise, trying to trick him into drinking a deadly poison? The stocky man dismissed the notion almost immediately, though, for he remembered that he had felt a subtle coldness emanating from Malice, and he could feel nothing of the sort coming from Ky. Boomer just shrugged, and drained the vial's contents in a single swallow. His face contorted in disgust then, for the pink liquid tasted as Boomer would have expected death to taste like. Ky laughed.

''You can laugh all you want,'' Boomer retorted, ''as long as this stuff works.'' The stocky man eyed his friend then, sensing that something more had been behind Ky's laughter, than merely his disgusted expression. Then it hit him. ''You've been with Maya, haven't you?'' Boomer asked, smiling widely.

''I don't know what you're talking about,'' Ky retorted, though his smile told a completely different tale. ''Whoo, I knew it!'' Boomer exclaimed, pumping one fist into the air, ''I knew the two of you had a thing for each other.'' Ky crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head slightly to the side. ''Oh yeah, and how would you know that?'' the young Stax asked. ''Oh, please,'' Boomer said, ''do you know how many times I've seen you gawking at Maya when she's not looking? And how many times I've seen her looking at you in the same manner?''

Ky sighed resignedly. ''Okay Boom, you win,'' he said, ''I'm crazy about her.'' Boomer nodded, seeming pleased. ''Now,'' Ky said at length, ''We should go get some sleep.'' Boomer stood up, and a sting shot through him, though he noted to his great relief, that the pain was not as intense as it had been a minute earlier.

A short while later, the two boys fell asleep.

xxxxx

At the same time, in her own room, across the hallway, Maya lay awake, unable to fall asleep. Strangely, it was in no way because of Malice or the atrocities the dark spirit had committed, but because of the kiss. Maya smiled. She had never kissed a boy before today, so she was without comparisons, but to her, Ky had been a great kisser.

It was with those pleasant thoughts that the young woman drifted off into the realm of sleep, some time later.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, master Boddai stood before a particular wood and glass cabinet in the healing sanctuary. He opened it and reached inside, his hand going for what appeared to be a simple vial. Appearances could be deceiving though. His hand closed about the vial, and then he pulled at it as one would pull a lever, and a few seconds later, the cabinet to the right of the one master Boddai had opened, began to slide slowly to the side, revealing a secret door. The old master reached within the folds of his robe, producing his x-reader, its screen emanating a faint bluish-white light; the glow of kairu-energy.

Master Boddai walked through the door, then down a narrow stairway, until he came into a square chamber, with white-washed brick walls, and rows of glass-columns lining the left and right-hand walls. Most of these glass-columns contained pure kairu, but some contained shadow-kairu. Centering the back-wall was a two-step dais, atop which stood the Kairu-Vessel, the only one of its kind to have ever been found intact.

Master Boddai approached one of the glass-columns, and pointed his x-reader at it, thinking to deposit the energy there, but then he sensed a movement behind him, and a feeling of intense unease washed over him. ''Hey there master B,'' said a voice; both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time, and a lithe young woman, brown-skinned and with amber-colored eyes, stepped into the chamber. ''Enough with the charade Malice,'' master Boddai said, turning about to face the dark spirit, ''I know it is you.''

Malice flashed an evil smile, and with a thought dismissed its _mirage_ attack, so that its lavender eyes and injuries became visible to the old man. ''It has been a long time since you and I last met face to face,'' the dark spirit remarked. ''Not long enough,'' master Boddai lamented, backing a step, and pointing his x-reader Malice's way. ''Begone from this place,'' he said threateningly, ''or I shall teleport both of us to the headquarters of the Redakai, where you will have to face all the masters, each of whom is far stronger than you.''

That seemed to put the dark spirit back on its heel, but only for a moment, for its hand shot forward with almost superhuman speed, and a forked bolt of crackling, purple lightning shot out from its extended fingers. The attack did not strike the old master directly, rather it struck his cane, the feeble wood splintering and sending master Boddai tumbling to the ground, his x-reader leaving his grasp, arching through the air and landing at the base of a column, some ten feet away from the old man.

xxxxx

Ky woke up to the sound of splintering wood, and the young man, thinking that Malice might be involved, was quick to wake Boomer. The two boys charged out of the room and into the hallway, almost crashing into Maya, who had also heard the noise. And so the three friends bolted out of the X-caper.

xxxxx

Master Boddai lay on his back, his cane shattered and his x-reader out of reach; he was defenseless, or so Malice thought. He reached within the folds of his robe and produced a training x-reader, and at once he began to absorb the energy contained within the device into his own body. ''You think that is going to help you,'' Malice asked. ''More than you know,'' master Boddai growled, reaching out with one arm, and a bolt of bluish-white lightning shot out from his hand, smiting the dark spirit squarely in the chest, taking it off its feet and hurling it backwards, into a wall.

Malice quickly got back to its feet, its lavender eyes narrowing dangerously. ''A lucky shot, old man,'' it said, ''but I will not be taken by surprise again.'' As if in mockery of that statement, a _star smash_ attack hit the dark spirit in the shoulder, hurling it sidelong to slam into a column, then slump to the ground.

Master Boddai looked to the side, where he saw Team Stax, standing at the bottom of the stairway, Boomer shaking his fist angrily in the air before him. ''That's what you get for kicking me in the nuts!'' the stocky man shouted, before rushing over to his master's side, hooking his strong arm under the old man's shoulder, and heaving him to his feet. Ky, having picked up master Boddai's x-reader on their way to his side, handed the device to the old man, then assumed a fighting-stance, as did Maya beside him.

Malice stubbornly got back to its feet, its right shoulder bruised. ''Stay out of this,'' the dark spirit said to Team Stax, ''this is between me and the old man.'' Maya stepped in front of master Boddai, her arms crossed over her chest. ''That's where you're wrong Malice,'' she said determinedly, ''this is between you and me; master Boddai has nothing to do with this.''

''It has everything to do with him!'' Malice screamed abruptly; surprisingly, and the sudden outburst put Maya back on her heel. The dark spirit calmed then, regaining its composure, and it even managed an evil laugh. ''I am not surprised in the least, that he has kept the truth from you, for all these years,'' Malice said, looking Maya straight in the eye, ''the truth about you, and about me.''

Maya looked from Malice to master Boddai. ''What is she talking about?'' the young woman asked, a perplexed look on her face. Master Boddai looked as if he were about to reply, but the words died before they left his mouth, and so Malice took it upon itself to explain.

''Boddai once found an abandoned baby on the monastery's doorstep; a baby that bore the mark of the dark master,'' Malice explained. ''All who had the mark of the dark master had souls of absolute darkness, and that child was no exception. Boddai took the child in anyway, for he believed that with gentleness and love, the darkness within it could be defeated.'' Malice paused for a few moments, allowing the words to sink in. ''As it turned out, he was correct to a certain extent, for it was through gentleness and love that a tiny speck of light was born out of the child's otherwise dark soul; a sliver of goodness in a raging ocean of evil. It was not to last, though, for so powerful had the darkness become, that it almost smothered the light, and surely would have, had Boddai not stepped in. In a desperate attempt to save the little good that existed within the child, the old man used an ancient kairu technique that allowed his spirit to walk free of its corporeal trappings, and dive into the child to do battle with the darkness. Boddai came close to losing – which would have meant the complete obliteration of his soul – but he managed to defeat the darkness, and imprison it in a remote corner of the child's mind. I was that darkness, Maya, and you were that speck of light.''

Maya's eyes widened in horror. ''But that would mean –'' she began, but Malice cut her short. ''Yes,'' the dark spirit said, leaning forward a bit to emphasize its words, ''I am the original.'' Maya could barely draw breath, so overwhelmed was she by the realization that Malice; this evil spirit, was not the evil version of her, rather she was the good version of it.

''You don't seriously expect us to believe that?'' Ky asked the dark spirit. ''If you don't believe me,'' Malice retorted, pointing at master Boddai, ''then you can just ask the old man.'' The eyes of all in attendance fell upon the old master, who was looking down at his feet as if he were abashed.

Even though she was afraid to ask the question, Maya knew that she had to, for if she was to have any hope of defeating Malice, she would need to clear her mind of any and all distractions. ''Master,'' the young woman said, ''is it true?'' ''I am sorry Maya,'' master Boddai said, looking the young woman straight in the eye, ''I hid the truth from you only because I care for you; deeply so, and think of you as my granddaughter.''

Master Boddai broke away from Boomer then, and made his unsteady way to Maya's side, putting a comforting hand on the young woman's shoulder. ''What you have learned this day, is irrelevant to who you are as a person, and to the person you will someday become,'' the old master assured her, ''you are no less human than the rest of us, Maya, and do not let Malice, nor any other tell you otherwise.''

''We'll never think less of you,'' Ky assured the young woman, offering her a comforting smile. ''Yeah,'' Boomer exclaimed, ''no matter what.'' Maya, truly comforted by the words, smiled a sincere smile.

''Well isn't that special,'' Malice said, clapping its hands together mockingly, ''I'm touched.'' Maya looked into the dark spirit's lavender eyes, and to her surprise, she saw something there; some primordial emotion that went far deeper than simple loathing. Was it envy?

Master Boddai looked Malice straight in the eye; unblinking. ''I imprisoned you,'' the old master stated evenly, ''how did you escape?'' The dark spirit laughed. ''I am surprised that you have not figured that out yet,'' it said, ''but I would be happy to explain.'' Malice's gaze went from master Boddai, to Ky and Boomer, and then to Maya.

''Boddai used his power to imprison me in a remote corner of my own mind,'' the dark spirit began, ''and it was his power alone that kept me there; detained for what I thought would be for the rest of my life. But fate had other plans for me. When Boddai lost Palladion to Lokar, his power began to weaken, and as it did, so too weakened the power keeping me contained, and, with the help of Maya, whose anger gave me the strength, I eventually managed to break free of my bondage.''

Malice lifted its arms out wide. ''And so the darkness has returned,'' it exclaimed, a wide and wicked smile stretched across its full lips, ''to encompass the world, and all who walk upon it.''

''Whoa, aren't you getting a little bit ahead of yourself there?'' Boomer asked, ''I mean, if you want to conquer the world, then you'll have to get past us first, and in case you haven't noticed, there are four of us and only one of you.'' The dark spirit eyed the stocky man contemptuously.

''Malice stand down,'' master Boddai demanded, ''you cannot escape.'' ''That's what you think fool, but I beg to differ,'' the dark spirit retorted, right before it exploded into motion, one hand shooting out to touch the smooth glass-surface of one of the room's many columns, and before anyone could react, Malice sent a jolt of lightning into it. A thin crack ran up the length of the column, bluish-white light shining through, and then there began an ominous shaking of the ground.

''You'll never get away with this, Malice!'' master Boddai shouted, ''the Redakai will be coming for you.'' The dark spirit's laughter echoed throughout the chamber. ''Well, in that case,'' it said, ''then I'll just kill them when they come.''

Boomer had heard enough. A twitch of his legs propelled him into a great leap, that brought him right up to Malice, the stocky man launching a roundhouse left hook for the dark spirit's face. Malice reacted quickly. It hooked Boomer's arm with its own, spun; pulling along the path of the punch's momentum, and then it threw, sending the stocky man flying back the way he had come, to crash into Ky, who had been coming in at his heels. The two boys fell in a tangle to the ground.

The dark spirit had initially thought to take advantage of the two boys where they lay entangled and defenseless on the ground, but it wisely changed its mind, as it noticed Maya, charging in at it from the side. Malice put its feet under it and sprinted to meet the young woman's charge.

They came together in a dizzying blur of lightning-quick strikes, devious, winding feints, and vicious counters. Neither gained an advantage, for they knew each other's fighting-style so intimately, that they could almost flawlessly predict and defeat their adversary's next move.

A twitch of its legs propelled Malice backwards suddenly, and it launched itself into a spinning circle-kick. Maya went into a defensive crouch, her legs wide apart, her forearms crossed before her, absorbing the brunt of the blow, but she realized too late that the dark spirit had only been setting her up for another attack. Malice landed in a crouch, with its legs in perfect order to suddenly reverse its momentum, one leg sweeping in at the back of Maya's knee.

Her balance compromised, Maya had no choice but to go on the defensive, blocking and parrying a number of blows. Malice eventually noticed a gap in the young woman's defenses, and her right hand shot out, connecting squarely with a thunderous jab on Maya's diaphragm, blasting the air from her lungs, and laying her low.

Seeing Ky and Boomer coming in at it, and master Boddai off to the side, preparing to fire a lightning-bolt its way, Malice decided to cut its losses and make a strategic retreat. The dark spirit bolted to the bottom of the stairs, then leaped up several steps, a bolt of lightning smiting the floor where it had been standing.

Ky and Boomer did not follow, instead the young Stax went to help Maya, while the stocky man went to help master Boddai.

xxxxx

Mookee, along with the three members of Team Tiro: Gia, Apex and Balistar, were surprised indeed, as a twelve foot tall bird-creature crashed through the front door of the healing sanctuary, along with a considerable chunk of the wall around it. Apex – who had always been easy to startle – hid behind Mookee, though the alien was a bit too small to provide any real cover. ''Maya!'' Mookee shouted, waving his arms frantically, ''what are you doing? You know I'm the one who needs to fix that, don't you?''

The bird-creature eyed the little alien and the three children, a hint of an evil smile showing on its bird-like face. It chuckled, before leaping into the air, spreading its huge wings, and soaring away from the monastery, leaving behind a fuming Mookee, and three very perplexed warriors in training.

xxxxx

''Everyone to the X-caper,'' Ky commanded, as he exited the healing-sanctuary, Maya coming next, then Boomer and master Boddai, the stocky man's arm hooked under the old man's shoulder, holding him on his feet. Mookee wanted to ask Maya who it had been that exited before them, but he held his tongue, figuring that this may not be the best time for such inquiries.

The shaking of the ground had intensified to the point where it was difficult for the eight people to maintain their balance, and writhing tendrils of kairu-energy came out through the hole in the wall, as well as the windows.

They all got to the X-caper, the ship tethered at the monastery's dock. Boomer and master Boddai were first in, the stocky man helping the old master to sit down; then he rushed to the pilot-seat, preparing for take-off. Mookee and the three members of Team Tiro were next, followed by Ky and Maya. A couple of minutes later, the X-caper took off, speeding away from the monastery, the place where master Boddai had lived since time immemorial; the place where Ky, Maya and Boomer, and more recently Gia, Apex and Balistar, had been taught the ways of a kairu-fighter; the place Mookee had been able to call home, after his home-planet of Nevrod had been destroyed by Lokar.

And then it was gone; consumed by a massive explosion of bluish-white energy, that tore down its stone-walls, and blew apart the arching wooden-bridges, that connected the various parts of the monastery. And then, when it seemed as if it were over, there rose from the ruins, like some vindictive monstrosity, a massive cloud of purple energy, that began to consume the life of all the vegetation that had not been destroyed in the initial explosion, and corrode what remained of the monastery's structures.

''I can't believe it's gone,'' Ky said, as he stood at the side-window, watching the absolute devastation below, ''I've lived there for almost as long as I can remember.'' The young Stax walked over to a bench and sat down, burying his face in his hands. ''And if we're sad about the destruction of the monastery, then can you imagine what it must be like for master Boddai,'' Maya said, ''I mean, he has lived there for like forever, and in a few minutes, it's just gone.''

''There is no time to worry about me,'' master Boddai said, ''we must focus on stopping Malice, for she will stop at nothing to get what she wants.'' Maya walked up to Ky, placing a comforting hand on the young man's strong shoulder. ''We will stop her,'' the young woman said, her amber eyes set with determination.

**To be continued...**

**I had been looking forward to writing this chapter for quite some time now. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Until next time; see you later. **


	10. Chapter 10: In the Night

**Before I start, I just wanna thank everyone who has read and/or reviewed this story; it truly means a lot.**

**Chapter 10**

Ky stood at the window of the room he shared with Boomer in the X-caper, the young man watching as drops of rain trickled down the smooth glass. He pressed his palm against the window, feeling its coolness. It was an hour or so past midnight, but the moon was up and full in the sky, so Ky could see clearly the red-painted buildings with their slanting, whitewashed tile-roofs, and the small, arching bridges that comprised this; his new home: master Atoch's monastery.

Ky and his friends had come to this place, seeking refuge, about a month ago, after their old home, master Boddai's monastery, had been destroyed by Malice, and master Atoch had been kind indeed, to take them in, in their hour of need. Master Atoch had given master Boddai a room that he could call his own; where he could sleep and gather his strength. Master Atoch had also given Gia a room, and Ekeyon had agreed – though somewhat reluctantly – to allow Apex and Balistar to sleep on mattresses on the floor in his room. The three members of Team Stax still slept in their old beds in the X-caper, and Mookee still slept in his kitchen-drawer.

Ky looked at his wrist-watch; it was time. He turned away from the window, and cast a sidelong glance Boomer's way, the stocky youth asleep in his bunk, completely exhausted after playing with Gia, Apex and Balistar, for three hours straight. Ky chuckled, and then – as quietly as he could – he exited the room, sneaking across the hallway to stand before the door to Maya's room.

Ky knocked softly on the door, and a few seconds later, it opened, Maya peaking out into the hallway. She gestured for the young man to enter, and he did just that, moving past her and into the room. Maya looked down the hall, to where Mookee lay in his kitchen-drawer, and judging by the guttural snores that emanated from that direction, the young woman guessed that the little alien was fast asleep. She smiled and nodded, seaming pleased; then she went back into her room, moving to stand before Ky, who stood at the end of her bed.

Maya studied Ky, his lean but muscular build, the strong angles of his features, his raven-black hair and ice-blue eyes; those eyes! The young woman's heart fluttered every time she looked into those dazzling blue orbs. Maya knew that she loved Ky, this young man with whom she had spent so much of her life, and she wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of her life with him as well.

Ky was similarly studying Maya, her angular, yet delicate features, her full lips; so very soft and inviting, the alluring curves and bumps of her slender and lithe body. He marveled at her eyes; those big and wonderful pools of liquid amber, that he felt as if he could drown in, and enjoy doing it. Ky knew, as he had known from the moment they had first kissed, that Maya had stolen his heart.

Without saying a word, Ky moved right up to Maya, and kissed her on the lips; tenderly; lovingly, and the young woman kissed him back, her arms wrapping about the young man's neck. Ky wrapped his arms around Maya's waist, and pulled her in closer, his strong chest pressing firmly against her breasts. As if on cue, the kiss intensified, growing more urgent; tongues touching.

Maya's hands came from about his neck, one going to his chest; to his breast-bone, and stroking up to his neck, while the other went down to his solid waist, and going around to the small of his back. Ky moved his hands down the sides of Maya's hips, and down the outsides of her thighs.

It went on and on, neither wanting the moment to end.

The kiss softened some time later, becoming gentler, their lips touching and brushing, each feeling the others warm breath on their face. And then they pulled away, staring long and hard into each others eyes, a look of profound longing on their faces. They both knew that they could take their relationship to the next level, but though it was tempting to take that most intimate of steps, they decided against it. They wanted to make sure that they were ready when that time came.

''Later,'' Maya whispered teasingly into Ky's ear, and the young woman could not help but smile and chuckle, when she saw the young man's eyes go wide, as the meaning of that single word became clear to him.

They parted then, Ky going back to his own room, crawling up into his bunk, feeling both exhausted and energized at the same time. That one word that was uttered during their encounter spun in his mind, accompanied by a feeling that was a mixture of unbridled excitement and profound nervousness.

Ky fell asleep a short while later.

xxxxx

Maya stood at the window of her room, watching as water trickled down the smooth glass. Fog appeared on the window, as the young woman's warm breath came into contact with the glass; cooled by the incessant rain outside.

Maya smiled. In spite of what had happened: the destruction of the monastery and the revelation that Malice was not her wicked side, rather that she was its gentle side, Maya felt happier than ever, for she had found something that outweighed the bad things ten times over. She had found love. This was the seventh night in a row that she and Ky had secretly met to make out. And they would meet again the next night, and the night after that, and so on, and so on. By Maya's estimation, the world could not be a brighter place at the moment.

Maya turned away from the window and walked over to her bed, lying down, not even bothering to change into her pajamas. She found a comfortable position, and soon enough she fell asleep.

**To be continued...**

**I do not know when I'll be able to update next (school starts tomorrow), but until then: later :) **


	11. Chapter 11: The Kairu-Colosseum

**Chapter 11**

''Good morning to you all,'' master Atoch greeted, as he walked into the X-caper, the following morning. Ky, Maya and Boomer sat at the breakfast table, along with Gia, Apex, Balistar, and Ekeyon, eating blueberry pancakes. Mookee, wearing his pajamas, stood at the stove, making another badge. ''Hey there master Atoch,'' Ekeyon greeted, his mouth full, ''what's shakin?''

''Nothing is shaking, young warrior,'' master Atoch replied, raising one eyebrow, ''I am here to inform you that a kairu-tournament has been anounced, and will take place this day.'' The eyes of all in attendance went wide with excitement. ''A tournament!'' Boomer exclaimed, ''awesome! I've been waiting for another chance to bag one of these things, since the tournament of the Kairu-Cube.''

''What prize will the winner get?'' Ky asked, his voice ripe with excitement. ''The winner of today's tournament will advance one rank,'' master Atoch replied, ''and also receive a rare and valuable x-drive to add to their collection.'' Ky, Maya, Boomer and Ekeyon exchanged high-fives.

''We will depart for the arena as soon as you have all finished eating your breakfast,'' master Atoch said, turning about and walking out of the X-caper, leaving four very excited warriors, attacking their pancakes with unbridled ferocity.

When they were done, they went out of the X-caper, and found master Atoch, where he was conversing with master Boddai, who now had a new cane; an elegantly carved, wooden affair, with inlaid strands of platinum to enhance its strength. ''Okay, we're ready,'' Ky said. ''Very well then,'' master Atoch said, lifting his staff into the air, his x-reader fastened to its end, ''off we go.''

A small ball of white light enveloped the x-reader. The ball expanded, then, gradually encompassing everyone, student and master alike, and when the light dissipated, they were no longer standing in master Atoch's monastery, but before the gates of a great battle-arena. Ky, Maya, Boomer and Ekeyon stared open-mouthed at the truly magnificent structure, as did Gia, Apex and Balistar.

Its walls were made of yellow sandstone, and a gray and red banner, emblazoned with the insignia of the Redakai, hung above its huge, stone-gate. On either side of that gate stood guards, wearing blue and white uniforms, and armed with gleaming white tridents. ''Welcome to the Kairu-Colosseum,'' master Atoch exclaimed, arms uplifted, ''here it will be decided who wins and who loses.''

The Kairu-Colosseum! Maya had read so much about this place. It had been built, many thousands of years ago, by human-slaves, back when the evil gihox – the giants of legend – ruled the world as kings. The structure was later taken into use by the Redakai, after the human-slaves rebelled against and overthrew their gihox masters, and many tournaments had been held here since.

The gate opened a few moments later, and a man, wearing the trappings of the Redakai, strode through, taking up a position before them. He was a short man, not much taller than Maya, with a slender build, dark hair and darker eyes. Aside from the sprinkling of gray at his temples, and the crow's feet that ran out from the corners of his eyes, he showed very little age to him.

''Who's that guy?'' Ky asked. ''That is master Baphamel, a former student of master Quantus','' master Boddai answered, ''he ascended to the rank of Redakai just a few weeks ago, back when we were still looking for a new home.''

''It does my heart good to see that you are alright, master Boddai,'' master Baphamel said, ''it would have been a grievous blow to the world, indeed, had you perished at the hands of the blight that is Malice.'' ''Thank you,'' master Boddai replied, ''your concern is appreciated.''

''The Redakai are already gathered inside,'' master Baphamel said to master Atoch and master Boddai, motioning towards the huge gate with one hand, ''I shall take you to them. As for those warriors who want to compete; go to the center of the arena.''

Suddenly, a ball of brilliant white light appeared behind them, and as it began to dissipate, seven humanoid shapes could be seen within; one of which had a glowing scar, diagonally across its face. ''Lokar,'' master Boddai growled disdainfully, as his arch enemy, along with his two remaining e-teen teams: Team Radikor and Team Imperiaz, came into clear view.

''Believe me, the feeling is mutual,'' the dark master retorted, in his deep, resonating voice, his amber-colored eyes narrowing dangerously. ''What are you doing here Lokar?'' master Baphamel demanded. ''I am only here to watch my students compete,'' Lokar replied, though all could guess that he was up to something else. Master Baphamel sighed. ''It is not within my power to deny you entrance,'' he said in a resigned tone, ''but you will not be seated next to the Redakai; you forfeited that right a long time ago.''

''You seem to think that I want to be seated next to these simple-minded fools,'' Lokar retorted, ''guess again. I'll stay with my students, that I might keep a better eye on them.''

Meanwhile, Ky and Zane exchanged disdainful glances. ''I can't wait to mop the floor with you in front of an audience,'' the green-skinned e-teen said, rubbing his gloved hands together excitedly, ''and let you experience the bitter taste of defeat, first hand.'' Ky struck a pensive pose. ''I'll have to take your word on what defeat tastes like, Zane,'' he retorted, a sly grin stretched across his angular face.

Zane looked as if he were going to explode. ''Whatever,'' he snapped, waving a hand dismissively towards Ky. The young Stax noted to some satisfaction that the green-skinned e-teen did not meet his gaze.

''We should go inside,'' master Baphamel said at length, ''the tournament will begin shortly, and the competitors will be wanting to prepare themselves mentally, as well as physically.'' That said, he turned about and strode back in through the gate; past the armed guards. The others followed, the huge gate slamming closed behind them.

xxxxx

A few seconds later, there came a third flash of light, and another figure stood before the Kairu-Colosseum's huge gates. Malice eyed its x-reader, seeming pleased. Shortly after the destruction of the monastery, the dark spirit had gone back into the forest, to where the corpses of Vexus and Nexus lay, and retrieved from them their teleporter-units, which it had then installed into its x-reader, allowing it to cross vast distances in the blink of an eye.

Malice turned its thoughts from its x-reader, and to the magnificent structure that stood before it. ''Not bad,'' the dark spirit muttered to itself, eying the thick stone-walls, and the huge, ornate gate, ''not bad at all.'' Malice strode towards the two guards.

''Didn't ye just pass through here?'' one of the guards asked, scratching his head, a perplexed look on his face, ''and weren't ye dressed differently?''

Malice considered its clothes. It now wore a black tank-top and black pants, black boots that reached its calves, and a black cloak, fastened about its shoulders via a gold chain. The dark spirit's armbands and bracers two were made of gold, as was its neck-cuff.

''You seem to have me confused with someone else,'' Malice said, a look of feigned innocence on its angular, yet delicate face. It took a step towards the gate, thinking to walk through, but the two guards crossed their tridents before the portal, blocking the way. ''What is the meaning of this,'' the dark spirit demanded.

''Ye passed through here earlier,'' the guard, who had spoken before, said, ''or rather, someone who looks just like ye.'' Malice studied the man. He was a man of about forty winters, short but stocky, with red hair and gray eyes, and meticulously trimmed sideburns, goatee and mustache.

Malice's gaze went over to the other man, who seemed to be in his mid-thirties. He was tall – a foot or so taller than his companion – with spindly limbs, blonde hair and dark-brown eyes.

''My name is Maya, and I am a student of master Boddai's,'' the dark spirit lied, ''and the woman you saw must have been Malice, my evil look-alike. Admit me at once, you fools, before the Redakai are destroyed by this imposter.''

Even as Malice spoke, the stocky guard was shaking his head. ''Nah,'' he said, ''ye're not Maya. Maya's got eyes o' gold, like a wolf, but as for yerself, ye've got purple eyes. So ye're Malice, I say.'' As he finished, the stocky guard leveled his trident the dark spirit's way, its three sharp points gleaming in the morning-light. His companion also leveled his trident.

Malice smiled evilly, all pretense of innocence gone from its face. ''You know my name,'' it stated, ''yet you do not seem to know of the reputation that comes with that name.''

''Aa, but we do,'' the stocky man said, ''and I'm thinking that the Redakai will offer a handsome reward to the one who brings them the lass who destroyed master Boddai's monastery, and left him without a home.''

Malice laughed mockingly. ''And I suppose you think you'll be the one to do it,'' it said, ''guess again. You'll never contain me.''

The stocky guard came on with a roar, suddenly, trident jabbing for Malice's belly. The weapon hit nothing but air, however, for the dark spirit had anticipated the move, launching itself into a forward somersault, right over the extended trident, touching down lightly behind its wielder.

The stocky guard, his features twisted with rage, spun about, picking off a jab from Malice, and countering with a jab of his own. The dark spirit brought its forearm up to block, the attack, then moved its arm out, as the weapon connected on its golden bracer, sending the head of the trident out wide. Out shot Malice's free hand, connecting on the man's muscular belly with a thunderous jab.

The guard didn't even flinch.

Roaring with laughter, the stocky guard retracted his trident, then came on with a sudden thrust. Malice sidestepped, but realized too late that the man's move had only been a feint, for he retracted his weapon before it could gain any real momentum, and then he slapped the dark spirit on the shoulder with the butt of his trident.

Malice, its shoulder thrumming from the hit, backed away from the stocky man. ''I think its safe to say that I underestimated you,'' the dark spirit said. The stocky man puffed out his muscular chest, his free hand resting on his hip, a smug expression on his square-chinned face. ''However,'' Malice said, ''I've been holding back.''

The stocky man's smug expression transformed into a deep scowl, and with a snarl, he launched himself at Malice, trident leading. The dark spirit sidestepped the thrust, and its hand shot out, clamping about the tridents shaft.

The stocky guard tore his trident free of the dark spirit's grasp, and backed away. ''What was that?'' he demanded, but Malice did not answer, rather it smiled an evil smile, that sent a shudder up and down the man's spine, ''what did ye do?'' Then the head of the trident began to vibrate slightly, and a ghastly purple light began to emanate from it. The stocky guard looked from his weapon to the dark spirit, a perplexed look on his face, ''what're ye about?''

Suddenly, the head of the trident broke clean off, and, faster than the eye could follow, it shot back, two of its three prongs digging deep into the stocky man's throat; piercing his windpipe. He slumped down to his knees, hands gone numb from shock and blood-loss; trying desperately to pull the head of the trident out, but to no avail. His companion rushed to his side, and he managed to pull the embedded trident-head out of his throat, though the stream of blood only intensified, forming a large, red pool around the man's slumped form.

Then, he died.

Malice, a wide and wicked smile stretched across its beautiful face, watched as the blonde guard tried futily to bring his friend back to life. The dark spirit wanted to kill that one too, but it refrained, only because it had other, more pressing business to attend to. Malice turned, then, and strode through the huge gates of the Kairu-Colosseum, its black cloak trailing it.

The tournament would begin soon, and it did not want to be late.

**To be continued...**


	12. Chapter 12: Let the Games Begin

**Chapter 12**

''I bid you all welcome!'' master Baphamel exclaimed, hands held high, as he stood in the center of the Kairu-Colosseum's vast arena, the three members of Team Stax, Ekeyon, and the two remaining e-teen teams, standing in a semi-circle about him, ''to this most glorious Redakai Championship Tournament. For those among you who do not know me,'' the newly appointed Redakai master went on, ''I am master Baphamel, and I will be serving as the judge of today's competition.''

Suddenly, a feeling of intense unease washed over master Baphamel, and he looked to the side. All in attendance; student and master alike, followed his wide-eyed stare, to the huge gate, at the base of which stood a young woman, with dark skin, blue hair and lavender eyes, an evil smile on her beautiful face. ''You must be Malice,'' master Baphamel said, regaining his composure.

''I am,'' the dark spirit stated calmly, as it walked towards the gathered crowd, casting master Boddai, who sat with the other masters, in a red and gray pavilion tent, emblazoned with the insignia of the Redakai, a contemptuous glare. ''And I have come to compete in the tournament.''

''Compete in the tournament?'' Maya asked the Redakai, her expression incredulous, ''can she even do that?'' The masters began to whisper amongst themselves, then they nodded to master Quantus, the presiding head of the Redakai, who promptly stood up. He was about to speak, but the dark spirit beat him to it.

''You cannot deny me,'' Malice stated, taking up a position among the other warriors. ''No doubt, that is what you desire, but I am a kairu-warrior, and as such, I cannot be denied entrance to a tournament, meant for other such warriors. Unless you want to break the kairu-code, that is''

''It is true that the kairu-code prevents us from denying you entrance to this tournament,'' master Quantus began, ''but know that the kairu-code also states, that no warrior may take the life of another, during tournament-play.'' Master Quantus locked stares with the dark spirit. ''Break this rule at your own peril, Malice.''

''Fair enough,'' Malice conceded, and master Quantus sat down.

''Now,'' master Baphamel said, briskly rubbing his hands together, ''on with the tournament. The rules are quite simple: the players from each team will compete as individual combatants, so you'll never know whom you'll end up against.'' Maya shared a concerned glance with Ky, the two hoping that they would not need to battle each other.

''Yes!'' Zane exclaimed, obviously exited to get a chance to show his skills solo. Zair and Techris sighed and shook their heads.

''Due to there being an odd number of players, one among you will be integrated into the second round of the tournament,'' master Baphamel went on. ''The identity of this player will be chosen at random by my x-reader.'' The newly appointed Redakai master held his x-reader up before him, so that all could see. A ball of bluish-white light appeared, hovering over the screen of the x-reader, and a few moments later, it began to diminish, revealing an image beneath. ''Princess Diara will be integrated into the second round,'' master Baphamel announced.

''Yay!'' princess Diara exclaimed, hopping up and down, clapping her hands together, ''in your faces.'' Koz and Teeny sighed and shook their heads.

''And now for our first match,'' master Baphamel exclaimed, holding his x-reader up before him, and two balls of bluish-white light appeared, hovering above it. ''The competitors will be,'' he said, as the light began to diminish, ''Koz and Malice.'' Team Stax and Ekeyon moved to the sideline, as did Team Radikor, and the two remaining members of Team Imperiaz.

The combatants took their places in the center of the arena, about two-dozen feet separating the two. ''Just give up now,'' Koz began, his hands resting on his hips, a cocky smile splayed upon his narrow face, ''that way you'll save yourself the embarrassment.''

A look of feigned sadness crossed Malice's face. ''It's a shame that I'm not allowed to kill you,'' the dark spirit lamented, then its face brightened considerably, ''I know, maybe I'll pay you and your annoying sisters a visit, once this tournament is over, and play with you, before shoving dirt onto your unseeing eyes.

Malice smiled wickedly as Koz took a step backwards. The dark spirit had no intention of wasting time on killing the Imperiaz, not yet anyway, it was simply having a little bit of fun.

''Begin!'' master Baphamel exclaimed.

The two combatants bowed, and as they did, the wind picked up, blowing the dark spirit's cloak and Koz's scarf about.

The two combatants stacked up then, calling upon the power of their respective monsters, though they did not transform into them. ''GRINDOID!... DARKROOT!'' Koz and Malice shouted, then they roared, as they felt the power of their monsters surge through their bodies.

''SLASHING CLAW ATTACK!'' Koz shouted, clawing at the air with a swipe of his hand, and a set of feline claws, made of green energy, shot out from him, toward Malice. The dark spirit evaded the attack with ease, launching itself into a sidelong cartwheel, the claws raking the sandstone where it had been standing.

''LIGHTNING STORM!'' Malice shouted, as it came out of the cartwheel; setting its feet wide apart for balance, and thrusting ahead with one arm; two fingers extended. A forked bolt of crackling red lightning burst from the dark spirit's fingers, slamming into Koz, and hurling him backwards through the air, to crash hard against an unyielding stone-wall; slumping low.

Malice felt a burning desire to walk over and kill Koz, where he lay defenseless against the wall; seemingly unconscious, but the dark spirit knew that to do so, meant being disqualified from the tournament.

Master Baphamel raised one arm into the air, signalling that the fight was over. ''I am ashamed to say that Malice is the winner,'' the newly appointed Redakai master said, ''she advances to the second round.''

xxxxx

Lokar watched it all with more than a passing interest. The only reason for why he had bothered coming to this tournament, was so that he could watch Malice, his real granddaughter, in action, and he was not at all displeased by what he had seen so far. If only he could find some way to get her to join him, they would be unstoppable.

xxxxx

''Our next match pits Ky Stax against Techris,'' master Baphamel declared, and the two combatants took their places, and bowed. ''Begin!'' the newly appointed Redakai master exclaimed, and the two combatants stacked up, though they did not transform into their monsters. While not nearly as brief as Koz and Malice's battle, the outcome of the match was quickly decided, with Ky coming out on top, thus advancing to the second round of the tournament.

In the third match, Ekeyon and Teeny fought, the lone kairu-warrior emerging victorious, and in the fourth match, Boomer and Zair did battle. Boomer won that match, though just barely, for Zair had put up a terrific fight. Truly, the side of good was off to an excellent start, with Ky, Ekeyon and Boomer advancing to the second round of the tournament.

''Before we move on to round two of the Redakai Championship Tournament, there is one last battle that must be fought,'' master Baphamel announced, ''Zane and Maya, please move to the center of the arena.'' The two combatants took their places, and bowed, though they did so only because the rules demanded it of them, and not because they held any respect for each other.

''Alright!'' Zane exclaimed, pounding a clenched fist into the palm of his other hand, a cocksure grin stretched across his thin lips, ''let's get this party raging!'' Maya ignored the e-teen, and looked to the sideline, where her friends were rooting for her. ''Over here, Maya,'' Zane said, ''your little boyfriend can't help you now.'' Maya's eyes widened at that last comment, for how could Zane possibly know about her and Ky?

Zane, who had no knowledge of Ky and Maya's budding relationship, and had said that Maya and Ky were a couple only to annoy the young woman, stroked his chin with a gloved hand, studying the young woman intently, or more particularly, the expression she now wore. Usually in the past, his taunts and insults had, had little-to-no effect on Maya, so how come she now acted as if she were surprised by him saying that she and Ky were in a relationship? And then it hit him.

''You're a couple?'' Zane asked incredulously, looking from Maya to Ky, then he threw back his head and laughed mockingly. He bent over, one hand holding his stomach, the other clenched and pounding on his knee. Techris joined in, in the laughter, but Zair did not, instead, she just sighed and walked away. No one noticed the tears running down her cheeks.

''Enough Zane,'' master Baphamel said at length, and the e-teen stopped laughing almost immediately.

''So you're a couple,'' Zane mused, a wide and wicked smile on his face, ''well, we'll see if Ky still wants to ride you, once I'm done with you.'' Maya ignored the crude words as meaningless.

''BRUTERON!... HARRIER!'' Zane and Maya shouted, stacking up; calling upon the power of their monsters, though they did not transform into them. They roared then, as they felt the power of their monsters surging through their bodies.

Zane seized the initiative, charging straight ahead, and launching a roundhouse right-hook for Maya's face. The young woman was ready, though, ducking under the blow, and rolling to the side, coming out of the roll in perfect balance, bending one knee, thinking to sweep her other leg in at the back of the e-teen's knees, and steal his balance. But Zane was ready for her. He leaped up and above the incoming leg and tucked his knees in close to his chest, before kicking out with both legs, connecting glancingly on Maya's shoulder.

Maya scrambled back cautiously, and the two warriors, ten feet between them, began to circle slowly, amber eyes locked with obsidian orbs. Zane charged at the young woman then, howling furiously. Maya bided her time, until the e-teen was within six strides of her, and then she launched herself into a forward, twisting somersault, Zane's hand shooting out and across above his head, as the young woman passed over him.

Maya touched down, and pivoted, to face Zane squarely, expecting to see the e-teen charge again. Zane did not charge, though, instead he just stood there, a wicked smile stretched across his thin lips, one forearm held up vertically before him, his hand...

Maya's eyes went wide, as she looked at Zane's hand, which now sported red, dagger-like claws, and her shock was only heightened as she noted the blood dripping from those wicked claws. The young woman looked down, to see three neat lines; claw-marks, on the outside of her thigh, warm blood running freely down her leg.

Zane charged.

''FEATHER SWORD!'' Maya shouted, ignoring the stinging pain in her thigh, and a two-foot blade, made of green energy and somewhat resembling an abnormally large feather, appeared in her waiting grasp. The young woman turned sideways to her charging opponent, leaving the tip of her weapon in line, forcing Zane to skid to a sudden stop, so not to scewer himself on its deadly point.

Maya came on suddenly, thrusting straight ahead with her sword, but Zane jumped back a few steps, just out of the weapon's reach, and, as the young woman tried to retract the blade, Zane came on, slapping it aside with his shadow-claw, his other hand shooting out to clamp about her throat.

Maya tried to bring her sword to bare, but Zane's free hand, the one sporting the dagger-like claws, shot out and to the side, catching her wrist and holding it fast, before twisting brutally. Maya screamed, as her wrist popped out of its socket, and her sword fell from her limp hand, and to the ground, clattering against the sandstone, before vanishing into thin air. Defiant to the end, the young woman cocked her other fist, and launched it for Zane's face, the blow connecting thunderously on the e-teen's jaw. Zane did not seem to mind at all, though, and Maya felt as if she had just punched a stone-wall.

Zane laughed mockingly, and that laughter became deeper and more guttural, as his body began to change, with red crystalline growths sprouting along the length of his right arm; all the way up to his shoulder, and from there, up to cover half his face; his pale-gray face.

Maya squirmed, desperately trying to loosen Zane's grip to the point where she could draw breath, but she could not; the e-teen's grip remaining vise-like, and before long, darkness began creeping into the edges of her vision. Zane, now in the guise of Bruteron, lifted Maya by the throat, high up into the air, like a trophy, so that all could see. He threw back his head, and roared his guttural, resonating roar, but Maya did not hear it, for she was swallowed by a profound blackness, unlike anything she had ever felt before.

**To be continued...**

**I do not know when the next chapter will come out, and the same goes for the story Brave Kid and I are working on: Brain Over Brawn. But until then; I'll see you guys later :) **


	13. Chapter 13: Remedies

**I was originally going to have the tournament in only one chapter. Then I started writing, and it became clear to me that one chapter would not be enough, and so I decided to split it into two. But now I realise that I'll have to split the damn thing into three chapters. I'm hoping that it'll only be three chapters, and honestly I do not see how I could possibly split it into four. So anyway, here is the second of the three chapters.  
**

**Chapter 13**

''Maya has fallen,'' Zane – now in the guise of Bruteron – bellowed in his horribly distorted voice, the e-teen holding the young woman, seemingly unconscious, high up above his head, by the throat, like a trophy, so that all could see. He looked at Ky, and a wide and wicked smile found its way onto his face, revealing white, pointed canines. Zane looked at Maya then, the young woman completely defenseless. ''I could kill her,'' the e-teen said, applying a bit more pressure on the young woman's throat, to accentuate his point, profound longing on his hideous face, then he looked back at Ky, ''and there would be nothing you could do to stop me.''

''Put her down, Zane,'' Ky demanded, his hands clenched at his sides, ''now.''

Master Boddai came to attention then. ''Put her down now, Zane,'' the old master said threateningly, ''or face the combined might of the Redakai.'' Zane eyed master Boddai; this man he so hated, and an animal-like growl escaped his mouth.

''Fine,'' Zane snapped at length, and, like a giant tossing a pebble, he heaved Maya across the way, the young woman slamming into Ky, taking them both down to the cobblestones. Zane reverted back to his standard, non-monstrous form then, the e-teen casting a contemptuous glare Ky and Maya's way, before swaggering off to the side, to join the other e-teens on the sidelines.

''Maya,'' Ky sobbed, the young Stax kneeling over his unconscious love, tears streaking his cheeks, ''please be okay.'' The young woman just lay there; almost motionless, the only thing distinguishing her from the dead, being her slightly heaving chest and her weak, unsteady breathing. ''Please.''

Master Baphamel came running. ''Make way,'' he demanded, roughly shoving Ky aside, before kneeling by Maya's side. He reached within the folds of his robe, and produced a small vial of what seemed to be thin, red smoke. ''You,'' the newly appointed Redakai master said, pointing at Boomer, ''hold her head up, but be gentle, so not to damage her neck.'' Boomer moved to comply. Master Baphamel held the vial up before the young woman's pale face, and pulled the cap off, the thin, red smoke rising out of it, forming a crimson cloud in the air. A few seconds passed, but then, suddenly, the red cloud disappeared into Maya's mouth, as if the young woman had inhaled powerfully.

Again, master Baphamel reached within the folds of his clothing and produced another vial, this one containing the same type of healing-salve Maya applied to her injuries, after her battle with Vexus and Nexus, in the forest. The newly appointed Redakai master pulled the cap off the vial, and poured a little bit of its contents onto one palm, before rubbing his hands briskly together, coating both in the bluish liquid. He then began applying the healing-salve to the claw-marks on Maya's thigh, and before long the wounds began to close up, leaving only a slight blush were they had been.

Master Baphamel inspected Maya's dislocated wrist then, the area around it all swollen; black and blue. ''Should be easy enough to heal,'' he said, ''though a bit painful, for I'll have to relocate the wrist. I think it would be best to do that once she is awake, so not to interrupt the healing that the red smoke is doing on the inside of her body. Once all that is done, I'll give her something for the swelling.'' Master Baphamel stood up.

''You seem to know a lot about healing'' Boomer remarked.

''My father was a healer, in a small village,'' master Baphamel explained, ''he was the best of the best. He could heal anything: cold, fever, you name it, he always had some remedy or other to help. I used to help him all the time, going out to gather ingredients for his remedies.'' A far-away look came over his face, as if he were remembering days long past. ''I wanted to become a healer, just like him.''

''Why didn't you?'' Boomer asked, ''become a healer, I mean.''

''I don't want to talk about it,'' master Baphamel replied, and Boomer, respecting the man's wishes, did not press him further.

xxxxx

Zane watched it all, his arms crossed over his chest, a wicked smile stretched across his thin lips. In defeating Maya, he had not only advanced to the next round, but he had also caused Ky pain. Zane hoped that he and Ky would do battle in the next round; either that or in the last round. But even if that did not come to pass, he would be content, for he would sweep aside anyone who would stand before him, and win the tournament. Indeed, it was a good day for the leader of Team Radikor.

''Congratulations,'' came a voice from behind, and Zane knew, before he turned around, that it was Malice.

''What do you want?'' Zane asked.

''Isn't it obvious,'' Malice retorted, crossing its arms over its chest, leaning on one foot, ''I wanted to congratulate you.''

Zane gave a sharp laugh. ''You must think that I'm really stupid, if you expect me to believe that,'' he said, ''guess again. I won't fall for your lies, Malice.'' A wounded look came over the dark spirit's face, but it lasted for only an instant, and was then replaced by a look of anger.

''I was just trying to be nice,'' Malice retorted, then it spun about, an exasperated sigh escaping its mouth, and strode away, ''forget this.'' Zane tilted his head to the side, wondering what that had all been about.

xxxxx

Maya's amber eyes shot open, and she began coughing uncontrollably, tendrils of the thin, red smoke framing her face, as she did. Ky and the others were at her side in an instant. ''What just happened?'' the young woman asked, sitting up into a cross-legged position, rubbing her head with her injured hand, then she winced, as a stinging pain shot through her. ''Oh, now I remember.''

Maya looked down at her thigh, to see three tears in the dark-green fabric of her pants, but no wounds beneath, only a slight blush on the tanned flesh. A puzzled look came over the young woman's face.

''Master Baphamel healed you,'' Ky explained.

Master Baphamel knelt beside Maya. ''I am going to need to relocate your wrist,'' he said, pointing at the young woman's injured hand. Maya nodded, and offered him her hand. Master Baphamel held her wrist in one hand, and her hand, in the other, and then he twisted in the opposite direction Zane had, drawing a stifled cry from the young woman.

When he was done, the newly appointed Redakai master stood up. He poured a little bit of the healing-salve onto his palm, and then he rubbed his hands together, before applying the bluish liquid to Maya's wrist, and the area around it. A few moments later, the swelling began to diminish; black fading to blue, and blue eventually fading to the light-brown of the young woman's skin, with only a slight blush where the swelling had been. Ky helped Maya stand up.

''Now then,'' master Baphamel said at length, rising to his feet and rubbing his hands together briskly, ''on with the tournament.''

**To be continued...**


	14. Chapter 14: Rage

**I was wrong. I said last time that the tournament would only be in three chapters, but I discovered that there is no way in hell that I'll be able to do that, and so there will be one more chapter from the tournament. **

**Chapter 14**

Master Baphamel once again reached within the folds of his robe, producing his x-reader and holding it up before him, so that all in attendance could see, and two globes of bluish-white light appeared above its screen. ''And the players competing in the first match of the second round will be''– everyone watched as the balls of light began to diminish, revealing a pair of images –''Boomer and Diara.''

''Go and show her who's boss, Boom,'' Ky said.

''Yeah,'' Maya said, giving Boomer a big thumbs up, ''make Team Stax proud.''

''Don't worry, guys,'' Boomer said reassuringly, ''I've got it covered.''

Both combatants took their places in the center of the arena, and bowed. ''Well, well, what do we have here,'' princess Diara mused, ''a loser, not even fit to clean my fabulous boots.'' Boomer rolled his eyes. Of all the e-teens, none was more annoying than the leader of Team Imperiaz.

''Do you remember when we fought in that ice-cave, a while back,'' Boomer asked, referring to the encounter that had ultimately led to his acquisition of _Platinum Froztok_, ''I remember defeating you and the rest of your team there, singlehandedly.'' He paused, giving the words some time to sink in, ''So would you mind telling me again which one of us is the loser here, because I don't think that it's me.''

''Whatever,'' princess Diara retorted, throwing her hands up in frustration, then she muttered under her breath: ''let's just get this stupid challenge over with.'' She reached into her handbag and drew forth her x-reader, ''HURRICADE!'' As she spoke the name, she began to grow taller, until she stood at about twelve feet tall, and her skin hardened into a metal carapace, purple and blue in color.

''FROZTOK!'' Boomer exclaimed, and an opaque smoke rose up to cover him wholly, ''BLIZZARD AXES!'' A muscular, crystalline arm, light-bluish in color, reached out of the smoke, clenching at the air, and an axe made of green energy appeared in his waiting grasp. Boomer, now in the guise of Froztok, threw the weapon, the axe spinning through the air, head over handle.

Princess Diara, having anticipated the move, sprang up high into the air and tucked her legs in under her, the spinning axe passing right under her, and deeply embedding itself in the wall behind her. While still in midair, princess Diara called out an attack of her own. ''RECKONING SMACK!'' she exclaimed, slapping at the air, and a hand made of red energy, an extension of her own reach, shot out from her, catching Boomer across the face, sending him spinning to the ground.

The princess chuckled.

Boomer got back to his feet in an instant. ''INSECT SWARM!'' he shouted, and a cloud of locusts burst from his outstretched hands. Princess Diara screamed, as much with disgust as with fear, as the swarm came over her, enveloping her. Boomer felt pangs of guilt as he stood there, watching as princess Diara desperately swatted at the insect-swarm, screaming frantically at the top of her lungs. ''Okay, that's enough,'' Boomer muttered to himself, ''ICE WHIP!'' A whip made of bluish-green ice appeared in the stocky man's hand, and he cracked it at the princess, sending her flying head-long to crash into a stone-wall. A few seconds later, the swarm of locusts disappeared into thin air.

Master Baphamel, seeing that the battle was over, walked over to stand beside Boomer, grabbing the young man by the wrist, and holding his arm up high, ''Boomer is the winner.''

Boomer looked to the sideline where his friends were standing. Ekeyon nodded approvingly, and Ky and Maya gave him a big thumbs-up. Boomer looked to the pavilion tent, where master Boddai was smiling at him and nodding approvingly. Boomer then walked over to join his friends at the sideline.

''Next up, we have Malice and Ekeyon,'' master Baphamel announced, and the two combatants took their places, and bowed, ''begin.''

Ekeyon reached into his belt-pouch, drawing forth his x-reader, and leveling it the dark spirit's way, ''STATICORE!'' As soon as the name rolled off his tongue, he began to change, transforming into a man-shape of bluish-white electricity, with a blue metal carapace covering his head and torso.

Malice reached into her belt-pouch, producing its x-reader. ''DARKROOT!'' she roared, and as soon as the words left the dark spirit's mouth, she began to grow taller, until she stood at about thirteen feet tall, and her skin grew thicker, becoming rough, lusterless bark, cracked in fissures yielding green light.

''LIGHTNING BLADE!'' Ekeyon shouted, and a curved sword with a serrated edge, appeared in his hand. He grabbed the hilt of the weapon in both hands, and lifted it up above his head, lining Malice up for a throw, before launching it, the sword aimed for the dark spirit's chest.

Malice's arm shot out and across, her open palm connecting on the flat side of the blade, turning it harmlessly aside.

''ENERGY WHIPLASH!'' Ekeyond shouted, and a coiled whip, made of greenish-white energy appeared in his waiting grasp. With a crack the whip uncoiled, lashing out at the dark spirit.

Malice presented her forearm horizontally in front of her, the whip wrapping around it, and then the dark spirit retracted her arm, the other shooting out to grab at more of the whip, and pulling hard. Ekeyon, caught completely off-guard by the maneuver, found himself stumbling forward, and Malice, smiling evilly, launched herself into a spinning circle-kick, connecting thunderously on the side of the lone warrior's head, cracking the metal carapace at the temples.

Ekeyon staggered to the side, dazed and in pain, white light shining through the crack in his head. His energy-levels were down by more than half, and he felt his head injury fast draining his remaining energy. And what was worse, Malice's energy-levels remained, for the most part, undiminished.

''STINGER!'' Ekeyon shouted abruptly, reaching out with one arm, and a bolt of red energy, somewhat resembling a scorpion's venomous stinger, only larger, shot out from his hand, smiting the dark spirit squarely in the chest, and pushing her back, gnarled, root-like toes scratching the cobblestones.

Malice's retaliation was quick and decisive. ''SHADOW FLASH!'' she roared, and a crackling beam of dark-green energy shot out from her eyes. Ekeyon did not manage to evade, and was caught by the attack, and knocked from his feet, landing on his back on the cobblestones. A moment later, he was enveloped in green energy, and he reverted back to his human form.

''And the winner is, Malice,'' master Baphamel announced, ''you will advance to the next round. And now for the last match of the second round. Ky and Zane, please take your places in the center of the arena.''

''Give him a kick for me, will ya,'' Maya said to Ky, ''or make them several.''

Ky pounded a clenched fist into his open palm, his features tight with grim determination. ''I'll make him regret the day his parents met,'' he said, then he walked to the center of the arena.

xxxxx

Zane started for the center of the arena, but stopped in his tracks, as a voice spoke up behind him, ''good luck.'' He did not need to turn around to know that it was Malice. Turn around he did, though, and was surprised to see that the dark spirit was smiling at him, and, unless he was mistaken, that smile was sincere.

''What do you want?'' Zane asked.

''I just came to wish you good luck in your upcoming battle,'' Malice replied.

''Why?'' Zane asked.

''Because I wanted to,'' the dark spirit replied.

''Why?'' Zane asked again.

With an exasperated growl, Malice threw up her hands in frustration, spun on her heel, and stormed off, muttering: ''clueless.''

''What was that all about?'' Zane muttered under his breath, then gave a shrug of his shoulders, as if in answer to his own question. He was about to start for the center of the arena again, but then, abruptly, he understood the motive behind Malice's uncharacteristic kindness toward him, and the revelation held him fast in place, as securely as would iron-shackles. Was Malice in love with him? The thought of having a murderous psychopath in love with him, unnerved the e-teen more than a little. A small part of him, though, found it quite intriguing.

xxxxx

Ky took his place in the center of the arena, and waited for a few moments for Zane to do the same. They bowed to each other, though they did so only because the kairu-code demanded it of them, and in no way because of any mutual respect, for nothing of the sort existed between these most hated rivals. ''Oh, how I enjoyed beating up your little toy, Ky,'' Zane taunted.

''Shut up, Zane,'' Ky retorted, retrieving his x-reader from its belt-pouch, and leveling it the e-teen's way, ''METANOID!'' He did not transform into his monster, instead remaining in his human-form, roaring as he felt the power of his signature monster surging through his body.

''BRUTERON!'' Zane exclaimed, x-reader in hand, and then he too roared, as the power of the mutated, crystalline behemoth that was his signature monster, surged through his body.

''ANTI-MATTER BEAM!'' Zane roared, and a red beam of destructive energy shot out from his outstretched hand.

Ky sidestepped the attack, then charged up the beam's length, leading with a heavy punch, aimed for Zane's face. The e-teen was ready for him, though, hardened forearm coming up to intercept the incoming blow. As the punch connected, Zane moved his forearm out and to the side, throwing his opponent's hand out wide, and opening a hole in his defenses.

A hole Zane did not hesitate to exploit.

Zane's free hand shot out and down in a vicious jab, aiming for Ky's diaphragm, thinking to blast the air from his lungs and lay him low. But Ky, lightning-quick, jumped back, landing with his feet in perfect order to suddenly reverse his momentum, and launch himself back at Zane, forehead leading and connecting squarely on the surprised e-teen's nose.

Zane stumbled backwards, blood trickling from his broken nose. ''SHADOW CLAW!'' he exclaimed, and his hand began to glow red, and wicked, dagger-like claws appeared on that hand.

''PLASMA SWORD!'' Ky exclaimed, and a sword made of red energy appeared in his hand. He planted his feet wide apart for balance, and grabbed the hilt in both hands, holding it up defensively before him.

Zane charged.

Ky met the charge with a sidelong slash, but Zane, anticipating the move, slid under it, coming up behind his opponent, dagger-like claws swiping for his upper calf, tearing and gashing. Ky, paying the physical pain no heed, spun about with a vicious backhand slash that would have had Zane, had the e-teen not jumped back, beyond the blade's long reach.

Ky overbalanced to the side, and Zane, ever the opportunist, was quick to use this to his advantage, charging straight ahead, clawed hand swiping for the young man's face. Ky managed to bring his sword up just in time to intercept the incoming claw-sweep, but as it connected, the blade snapped clean at mid blade. Zane's clawed hand was knocked off center, though, merely clipping the young man on the cheek, and drawing a slight line of blood there.

Ky reacted quickly, bringing the pommel of his sword in hard at the side of Zane's jaw, staggering him to the side. Zane regained his balance and shook his jowls, then he smiled a wide and wicked smile.

Zane came on ferociously.

Grabbing the broken sword in both hands, Ky brought it up above his head, took aim, and launched it, the weapon spinning through the air, blade over pommel, soaring toward the charging e-teen. Zane's hand swiped across, connecting with the incoming blade, and as it did, both sword and claws shattered; broke apart into a shower of sharp shards and sparks.

Zane stumbled back from his charge, clutching at his hand, where the shards had torn his glove and sliced his hand. Another sharp shard had sliced him diagonally across the face, and the stinging pain in one eye, coupled with the fact that he could no longer see with that eye, made clear to Zane just how serious his injuries really were. Verily trembling with anger, Zane looked at Ky with his one good eye, and narrowed it ominously; and then, surprisingly, he charged.

Ky, who had thought the e-teen beaten, did not manage to react in time as Zane ploughed into him, pinning his arms to his sides in a tight bear-hug that lifted him several inches from the ground. Ky desperately tried to wriggle free his arms, but he found that he had a more pressing matter to deal with, as he looked down at Zane's disfigured face, to see his one good eye glowing red. With a roar, Zane loosed his attack, a red beam of thrumming energy, that shot out from his eye.

With power wrought of desperation, Ky managed to build up, around himself, a protective barrier of his inner-kairu, blocking the attack and keeping it at bay, mere inches from his face. Through the thrumming of Zane's attack, Ky could hear Maya cry out, and strengthened by the sound of the young woman's voice, he began his wriggling anew, this time more incessantly.

Zane roared furiously, straining to push the red beam through Ky's protective barrier, and he gradually began to make some headway, for Ky's concentration was slowly beginning to falter.

Ky was beginning to feel the heat of the red beam through his protective barrier, and, realizing that he was running out of time, he abandoned his wriggling strategy, and instead, grasped for Zane's lower sides. ''PLASMA HANDS!'' Ky growled through clenched teeth, his voice drowned out by the incessant thrumming of the e-teen's attack, and his hands became encompassed in plasma.

Zane let go of Ky and fell back, cursing and slapping at the singed skin of his lower sides. ''LOKAR'S VOID!'' he growled, cupping together his hands and bringing them in close to his side, ''RADIKOR RAGE!''

''PLATINUM FIRE!'' Ky growled, extending his hand out to the side, and clutching at the air, as if he were holding some unseen weapon. ''PLATINUM BLADE!'' he added, and a gleaming sword appeared in his waiting grasp.

''LOKAR'S RAGE!'' Zane exclaimed, and with a roar, he thrust his cupped hands forward, and a thrumming beam of red and purple energy shot out from them, the momentum of all his rage behind it.

''PLATINUM FIRE-BLADE!'' Ky exclaimed, leveling his sword the e-teen's way, and a tremendous gout of roaring flames, an extension of the young man's wrath, burst from its tip. The attacks met halfway between the two combatants, and the shock of the initial collision caused the stones of the arena to tremble.

Ky fought on, managing to push Zane's energy beam back a couple of feet, but then the e-teen retaliated, pushing hard against the young man's attack, driving it backwards several feet. Ky dug his heels in and fought back, backing his attack up with every ounce of power he could muster. Zane clenched his teeth and stepped in behind the beam, pushing the young man's attack back.

And then, with a deafening noise, there came a blinding explosion of light, the ensuing shock-wave knocking those standing from their feet, and even knocking some from their seats. A short while later, everyone stood up; everyone except two: Ky and Zane, lying motionless in the center of the stage.

''Ky!'' Maya cried, rushing to the center of the arena, Boomer and Ekeyon close on her heel. Techris rushed to Zane's side, and, to the surprise of all in attendance, so did Malice. They were all relieved to see that both combatants were alive and breathing steadily, though both had taken quite a bit of punishment over the course of the match, especially Zane, with many cuts on one hand, a broken nose, a diagonal cut across his face, and with one eye put out.

Master Baphamel reached within the folds of his robe and produced two vials of the blue healing-salve. He tossed one to master Quantis, who rushed to Zane's side, but he took the other to where Ky lay.

For the next ten minutes or so, the two masters administered to the wounds of the two combatants. Ky was completely healed by the time master Baphamel was done with him, but Zane was not as lucky. Though the cuts on his hand and the one across his face, and his broken nose were completely healed, his eye could not be so repaired, rendering him completely blind on one eye.

''So who won?'' Boomer asked master Baphamel.

''Since no one actually saw who went down first, we cannot, in good conscience, declare either one of them the winner,'' master Baphamel explained, ''and thus it would only stand to reason that the match be declared a draw; a double forfeit.''

''A draw?'' Zane echoed, verily trembling with outrage, ''I lost an eye for a stupid draw?'' He took a menacing step toward Ky, and Techris, discerning his friend's intent, was quick to grab Zane by the shoulder and hold him back. Zane would have none of that, however, and he spun about fast, punching Techris hard across the face, dropping him in a heap to the ground. He turned back on Ky, his black eye narrowing ominously. ''You did this to me,'' he growled, taking a step toward the young man, but master Baphamel cut in between them, arms held out to the side, stopping the fight before it even began.

''Enough, Zane,'' master Baphamel said.

''Out of my way,'' Zane growled threateningly, hands clenching and unclenching ominously at his sides. Master Baphamel did not move. Zane balled a fist and shot it for the master's face, but to his surprise, his fist hit only air, for master Baphamel had sidestepped the blow. With frightening speed, the master's hand shot out, grabbing Zane by the front of his t-shirt, and pulling him in close so that the two could lock stares.

''You should be more careful when picking your enemies, Zane,'' master Baphamel growled, his withering gaze boring deep holes into the stunned e-teen, and then he unceremoniously shoved Zane backwards, the e-teen tripping over himself and falling to the cobblestones. It was at that moment that master Baphamel noticed that everyone was staring at him, mouths hanging agape. He coughed apologetically and smiled, then offered Zane his hand, but the e-teen merely waved it away angrily, getting back to his feet on his own.

''Now then,'' master Baphamel exclaimed, rubbing his hands together, ''there is one last match that must be fought.'' He eyed Malice, and then he looked at Boomer, a pleading look on his face, the newly appointed Redakai master obviously wanting the stocky young man to defeat the dark spirit. ''Combatants,'' he went on, ''take your places.'' That said, he spun on his heel and walked off to the sidelines, as did everyone else who was not competing.

Boomer and Malice took their places and bowed. _This is it_, Boomer thought, _the last match of the Redakai Championship Tournament. If I win this, then I'll become a kairu-champion, and more importantly, I'll stop Malice from obtaining the grand prize. _He looked Malice in the face, and saw that an evil smile was plastered across her full lips. _Losing is not an option._

**To be continued...**

**Next I'm going to finish chapter two of Brain Over Brawn, so there might be some time until I'll be able to update this story again. But until then; see you guys later :)**


	15. Chapter 15: The Stuff of Nightmares

**Here it is, my longest chapter to date. It took me a long time to write this, and had to stop due to writers block several times throughout the writing process of this chapter. Enjoy.**

**Chapter 15**

''The final round of the Redakai Championship Tournament is about to begin,'' master Baphamel exclaimed from the sidelines, ''the winner of this match will not only receive a rare and powerful x-drive to add to their collection, but will also be elevated to the rank of kairu-champion, a most honorable position.'' He raised one arm high into the air, eying Malice and Boomer, then his arm fell, ''begin.''

''You can do this, Boomer!'' Ky called from the sideline.

''Yeah!'' Maya called, ''show this sadistic freak what you're made off!''

''I'll do my best,'' Boomer replied.

Malice and Boomer bowed and stacked up, Boomer calling upon the power of Froztok, and Malice upon that of Dark Root, though neither of them transformed into their monster. ''Let us begin,'' Malice said, extending one hand, ''INFERNAL STRIKE!'' A blackish-red ball, somewhat resembling a human-skull, shot out from her palm, soaring toward the young man.

Boomer dove into a sidelong roll, and as he came out of it, he extended both hands, loosing an attack of his own, ''HAILSTORM!'' A devastating barrage of small balls, made from ice and compacted snow, shot out from the stocky youth's hands.

Malice crossed her forearms protectively in front of her face, just an instant before the hailstorm smote into her, ringing and banging off of the hard bracers, and tearing her clothing in several places.

Malice retaliated ferociously.

''MAGMA BLAST!'' she exclaimed, rearing back her head, the veins on her neck bulging grotesquely, and with a roar that fast turned into a sickening gurgle, she leaned forward, vomiting a line of molten stone, at her opponent.

''Eww,'' Princess Diara shrieked from the sideline, ''gross.''

''BOREALIS BLAST!'' Boomer exclaimed, and a many-colored beam shot out from his hands, colliding with the lava-stream, and stopping the attack midway between the two combatants, spurting molten stone in all directions.

Suddenly, the cobblestones beneath Boomer's feet became quick-sand, and, with the lava-stream pushing and all friction lost, the stocky youth fell heavily on his back, the many-colored line disappearing from his hands. He managed to throw up an _electro cage_ around himself, just an instant before the stream of molten lava struck, covering the dome-shaped shield. A few seconds later, the lava cooled to black, leaving Boomer stuck inside a dome of obsidian.

Boomer found it hard to breathe, though whether it was because of the meager supply of oxygen within the dome, because of his claustrophobia, or both, he did not know. What he did know, however, was that he needed to get out, and quick.

He closed his eyes – though he really did not have to, for there was pitch-blackness within the dome – and concentrated, channeling his inner-kairu into his fists. He was not as strong with his inner-kairu as Ky and Maya, but good enough – he hoped – to break free of his cage.

His fists glowed with a blue light, illuminating the inside of the dome, and lightning-like energy occasionally crackled from them. Then, with all the strength he could muster, he punched the wall of his cage. A thin crack appeared in the wall, and Boomer, strengthened by the thought of his imminent escape, swung again, this time breaking a hole in the dome, just large enough to admit his stocky frame.

Boomer stepped through the opening, and out into the daylight, taking a deep breath of revitalizing oxygen.

''Behind you!'' Ky called from the sideline, and Boomer spun about, his gaze locking onto Malice, or more particularly, onto the bottom of Malice's black leather boot, soaring in for his face.

Boomer reacted quickly, one huge hand shooting out to clamp about Malice's slender ankle, and pulling along the path of the flying kick's momentum, throwing her onto the ground. The stocky youth rushed over to where the dark spirit had landed, thinking to subdue her where she lay on the ground.

But Malice's legs shot out, planting her feet on Boomer's broad chest, keeping the stocky youth at bay, though his momentum pushed at the dark spirit, so that her butt lifted off the ground, her shoulders pressed down against the cobblestones. Faster than the eye could follow, Malice's hand shot out in a vicious jab, aimed for the stocky man's groin, but the angle of her body was all wrong, and so she only connected glanzingly.

It was enough, though, to double Boomer over in shock, the young man clutching at his private-parts, and Malice, using the opportunity to strengthen her position, retracted her legs and and rolled over backwards and to her feet.

Malice came on furiously, thinking to take advantage of Boomer as he stood bent over, clutching at his man-parts. But the stocky youth surprised the dark spirit then, for his helplessness was feigned, and Boomer straightened abruptly, hands shooting out toward Malice.

Malice's arms shot out as well, grabbing at Boomer's hands, and pushing with all her strength, though she knew logically that she was no match in strength for her much stronger opponent. And there they stood for several seconds. Malice pushing desperately against Boomer, but the stocky man pushed back with frightening strength, rising over her, changing the angle so that he pushed down diagonally, while the dark spirit was forced to push up.

Boomer watched with satisfaction as beads of sweat appeared on Malice's dark complexion, then ran down, streaking her face. _I'm gonna win this,_ the stocky man thought to himself, _I'm really gonna win this._

Suddenly, Malice's upper lip curled up into a wicked smile, and in one fluid movement, the dark spirit ducked and skidded through Boomer's widespread legs, still holding his hands. She came up behind him, pulling his arms through his legs, stealing from him any semblance of balance, before kicking him in the buttocks, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Boomer scrambled back to his feet, but before he could assume any semblance of defense, Malice launched herself into a spinning circle-kick, that connected thunderously on the side of Boomer's head, staggering him to the side.

Most people would have been knocked unconscious by so powerful a blow to the head, but Boomer was made of tougher stuff than most people, and so he just shook his jowls vigorously. ''Is that the best you've got?'' he asked, a mocking smile stretched across his round face.

Outraged, Malice launched herself at Boomer, but the young man was ready for her this time, meeting her charge with a powerful left hook, that smote her heavily across the jaw, launching her backwards; spinning to the ground.

Malice, her head lolling about on her shoulders, and her sensibilities still spinning from the heavy hit, managed to prop herself up on one elbow. She shook her head vigorously, forcing most of the dizziness away, and rubbing her pained jaw, she glared up at her opponent.

''You go, Boom!'' Ky called from the sideline.

''Yeah!'' Maya called, ''finish her off!''

Boomer walked over to where Malice lay helpless on the ground. He reached down, grabbed her by the front of her cloak, and with frightening strength, he lifted her up, so that her toes brushed the ground. ''Malice,'' Boomer said in a low voice, so that only the dark spirit could hear. ''You have hurt me, and you have hurt my friends. You have caused nothing but death and destruction.'' He cocked a clenched fist. ''But it ends here.''

Malice could barely speak, so overwhelmed was she by the fact that she was about to lose. Her arrogance had gotten the best of her, she knew. She had underestimated her opponent, and now she was paying the prize.

Malice closed her eyes in defeat, and waited for the blow to fall.

''Don't you dare give up, Malice!'' Zane called out suddenly, ''he's no match for you, so don't you dare give up!''

Malice's eyes snapped open just as the blow fell. She cocked her head to the side, and the punch thundered past. She wrapped her arms and legs around Boomer's arm, and twisted with all her might, her legs moving in one direction and her arms in another. Boomer's hand went limp as his arm broke, and Malice fell from his grasp, landing on her butt on the cobblestones.

Boomer, clutching at his broken arm, stumbled backwards, a look of agony splayed on his face, beads of sweat glistening on his brow. ''Damn you,'' he growled through clenched teeth.

Malice got back to her feet and brushed herself off. She glanced at Boomer, who was still clutching at his broken arm, and saw to her satisfaction that he would not be coming back in at her any time soon. She then looked at Zane, a knowing smile splayed on her tanned face, and she winked at him.

Zane wasn't entirely sure on how he should respond, so he just smiled and nodded.

Malice's gaze fell fully upon Boomer then. ''I underestimated you,'' the dark spirit conceded, as she extended a hand out toward her opponent, and a purple glow encompassed that hand, ''a mistake I do not intend to repeat.''

Boomer knew he was defeated. The pain in his arm was almost paralyzing in its intensity, and he could neither leap aside nor try to deflect the bolt of dark lightning that was undoubtedly about to come his way. He drew himself up to his full height, squared his shoulders and set his jaw firmly, determined not to give the dark spirit the satisfaction of watching him go down easy.

The purple glow encompassing Malice's hand intensified, as the dark spirit prepared to send forth a bolt of purple lightning to strike down her opponent. But then an idea came to her, an idea that curled her upper lip up into a cruel smile. She could have struck Boomer down, then and there, but whatever injuries he would have suffered could simply be healed afterwards by the Redakai.

But wounds to the soul were much slower to heal.

The dark spirit went down on one knee, the palm of one hand pressing firmly against the soft sandstone, and then she sent a substantial amount of her inner-kairu into the ground.

''What have you done, Malice?'' Boomer asked, his hazel eyes carefully scanning the ground around him with mounting trepidation, half expecting the cobblestones to erupt beneath his feet at any moment.

''Are you familiar with the history of this place?'' Malice asked, a cruel smile curling her upper lip, an evil glimmer in her purple eyes. ''Of course you aren't,'' she said then, answering her own question before Boomer even had a chance, ''you always were an ignorant one, and still are by my own reckoning. All brawn, no brains.''

Boomer, who was preoccupied with trying to think of some clever retort, did not notice the slight shudder that passed through the ground. Malice noticed the shudder, though, and it took all of her considerable self-control to keep herself from trembling with excitement.

''It was built a long time ago by human slaves, back when the brutal gihox were the dominant race on the planet,'' Malice went on, ''the construction lasted for more than seven whole years, and many slaves died during that time.'' The dark spirit licked her lips, as if she liked to talk about this particular subject. ''Some were whipped to death, others died from malnutrition or dehydration, and some even met their end in a gihox cooking-pot. The gihox did so enjoy the taste of man-flesh.''

Boomer blanched as images of men and women being eaten by the cruel giants popped into his mind. He had heard many stories of giants with the gruesome habit of eating humans, but he had always thought they were just that: stories, with no connection to the real world. To learn now that those stories were not only real, but also that he had encountered those same giants, sent a shiver down his spine. He shook his head, forcing the dark thoughts away.

Another shudder coursed through the ground, this one greater than the previous, and this time Boomer did notice it. He looked at Malice, his hazel eyes narrowing dangerously.

''Do you want to know what the gihox did with the bodies of those who died during the construction?'' Malice asked, her wicked grin almost feverish in its intensity. When Boomer did not reply, she told him the answer anyway, ''they were interred beneath the cobblestones!''

Suddenly, the ground before Boomer burst apart, with an accompanying dust-cloud, and through that cloud leaped a grotesque creature, its purple-glowing eyes locked on its prey.

Boomer cried out as the creature crashed against him hard, its momentum taking them both down to the ground. They rolled around on the ground, kicking and thrashing furiously, until the young man at last managed to plant his foot against the creature's scrawny chest, and then he pushed hard, the muscles in his legs flexing taut, launching the creature away.

Boomer scrambled back to his feet, and only then did he get a good look at the creature. He nearly swooned, for sprawling on the ground before him were the ragged, yet seemingly very much alive, remains of a man, with rotted green skin, stretched to its absolute limits to cover its skeletal frame, and purple lights burned in its hollowed out eye sockets.

With a terrified yelp, Boomer kicked the creature in the face, as it tried to rise up, tearing its skeletal head from its withered shoulders, and sending it rolling and bouncing away. The undead thing did not die, however, rather it scrambled back to its feet, though without its head, there was no way for it to locate Boomer.

''BLIZZARD AXES!'' Boomer shouted, reaching out with one arm, and an axe appeared in his hand. With a mighty downward swing of the weapon, the young man clove the zombie down the middle, the two halves crumbling to the ground, where they lay still.

Boomer blanched, as the ground all about him erupted, and one after another, the rotted and withered corpses of men and women crawled out of the ground, like worms writhing from a carcass. They came on then, at a stiff-legged gait, their bony arms extended out towards the stocky youth, their hungry, purple-glowing eyes locked fast on their intended prey.

xxxxx

''This is an outrage, Malice!'' master Baphamel roared, slamming his clenched fist down on the hand-rest of his chair. He sprang to his feet, wild-eyed, and strode toward the dark spirit, ''how dare you dishonor our rules by bringing such horrid abominations into a tournament of honor!''

''You speak as if I have broken the rules,'' Malice snapped back.

''Oh, but you have,'' master Baphamel retorted, ''in bringing these monstrosities into the tournament, you have violated the rule that states that no contestant may bring an outside weapon, or object that could be used as a weapon, into the competition, unless it has been directly approved by the presiding tournament judge, and I do not recall approving of such a thing.''

''Fool,'' Malice snapped back, ''I have broken no such rule. I did not bring these creatures into this tournament; they have been here for thousands of years, longer than anyone else here has been alive, Lokar and the Redakai included. And the rules state – unless they have been changed since yesterday, when last I read over them – that contestants may use their surroundings during a challenge, and since these corpses serve as the foundation of this place, they qualify as a part of my surroundings. So tell me, fool Baphamel, how exactly have I broken the rules?''

Master Baphamel verily trembled with outrage, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. He looked to the other Redakai, who were equally distressed as he, though they all knew that Malice's claims were correct.

''You can't seriously allow this to continue,'' Maya protested.

''I am sorry, young warrior,'' master Baphamel replied, frustration showing on his angular face. ''According to the the Kairu Code of Conduct, which must be respected, we can not interfere.''

xxxxx

A mighty swing of his great axe severed two of those reaching arms, and then Boomer kicked out with one foot, sending the now armless zombie flying backwards, to crash hard into two of its companions, the three falling in a tangled mass to the ground.

As much as he wanted to, Boomer could not take advantage of their predicament, for three more of the undead things were coming in at him, their bony arms reaching for his throat. The young man dropped into a low crouch, the reaching arms grabbing at nothing but insubstantial air above him, and then the axe flashed across down low, taking the legs from two of the zombies.

Boomer launched himself backwards then, out of range of the third monster, and then he reversed his momentum, charging forward, dipping his shoulder and ploughing into the creature, knocking it over. Up went the axe, high above his head, and then it came chopping down, sinking deep into the zombie's withered chest.

Boomer jerked the weapon free, but the monster was not quite dead yet, and so he began hacking at the undead thing with wild abandon, chopping it apart, until at last it stopped moving. He did not even get a chance to congratulate himself, for five other zombies, one of which was missing its arms, two were missing their legs, while the remaining two were whole.

Boomer flashed his axe across, lopping the head from the armless one, then he cut another one in half at the waist with a vicious backhand. He jumped back as one of the undead things grabbed at him, but unfortunately, there was another zombie waiting behind him. Boomer noticed it and jumped to the side, spinning about, the axe coming out to arms-length, and cutting deep into the creature's side.

Where it got stuck.

Boomer tugged hard at the axe, trying desperately to free the weapon, but it was stuck, the spike balancing the blade having caught fast on some bone. The young man, preoccupied as he was, could not react in time then, as the undead thing slugged him hard across the jaw with frightening strength. It came around then with a sudden, sweeping backhand that smacked him square on the shoulder, sending hot waves of pain down through his broken arm.

Boomer let go of the axe and stumbled back, but unfortunately for him, his heel struck one of the legless zombies, and he lost his footing and fell over it, crashing down hard on the ground. He tried to rise, but the legless zombie was upon him, as was the one with his axe sticking from its chest.

Boomer cried out as the two monsters fell over him, punching and kicking, clawing and thrashing, and before long, all the other zombies that he had not cut down, came over to partake in the beating. For Boomer, all the world was heavy blows, stinking, rotted flesh and purple-glowing eyes.

Through the guttural moans and grunts of the undead horde, Boomer could faintly make out the voices of his friends, crying out his name, and he could also faintly make out the laughter of the dark spirit.

It were the undead monsters, the stuff of his nightmares, coupled with that cruel laughter, that broke the strong man, making him scream out his surrender like a frightened child.

xxxxx

Malice was pleased with herself. Not only had she won the tournament, but she had also inflicted a terrible wound on Boomer, a wound that would not quickly heal, that is to say if it ever healed at all. And to top it all off, she had made a show of her power, a display that would make sure that she got the respect she deserved, from the Redakai, Maya and her little friends, the e-teens, and yes, even from her grandfather.

Malice closed her eyes and concentrated, attuning her thoughts to the force that kept the zombies animated; the part of herself, her inner-kairu, that she had willingly given up to create the horrid things.

She extended her arm out toward the monsters, clenching her hand into a fist, and the shadow-kairu that was her life-energy was drained from the zombies. The purple lights in their eyes disappeared, and the now lifeless corpses crumbled to the ground, burying Boomer under a mound of rotting bodies.

Ky, Maya and Ekeyon rushed to the pile, and despite their repulsion, they began removing the corpses from atop their friend. Before long they managed to pull Boomer, bloody and battered and only semi conscious, out from under the mound. Master Quantis rushed to the injured young man's side and began administering to his wounds with an assortment of healing-salves and potions.

Malice turned to master Baphamel. ''I'm waiting,'' she said impatiently, arms crossed under her breasts, ''Boomer has declared his surrender, so announce me as the winner, immediately.''

''Malice is the winner,'' Master Baphamel announced to all in attendance, then he turned to face the dark spirit squarely, ''and with your victory comes an elevation to the rank of kairu-champion.'' He reached within the folds of his robe and produced his x-reader. ''But that is not all, you also get the coveted and extremely rare monster x-drive, known as Fanarloki.''

Master Baphamel held the small device up before him, and a line of bluish-white energy rose up from it, and soared over to Malice, flowing in graceful circles and spirals, before finally being absorbed by the dark spirit's own x-reader. Malice gasped as the monster appeared on the small device's screen.

It was a red dragon.

Malice reluctantly tore her gaze away from the x-drive, and looked to where Lokar and his e-teens were preparing to take their leave. With a final, dagger-throwing glare master Baphamel's way, she pocketed her x-reader, and walked over to stand before her grandfather.

A long and uncomfortable moment ensued, but then, to the complete and utter surprise of all who bore witness, Malice went down on one knee, and bowed her head submissively. ''I would pledge allegiance to you, grandfather,'' the dark spirit said, ''if you would have me.''

Lokar did not answer right away, but everyone who witnessed knew, and he knew as well, that the moment of thought was just for show. ''Rise, my granddaughter,'' the dark master said, motioning for the dark spirit to stand, ''my e-teen.'' What he had failed to notice, was the slight twist to Malice's mouth – the slightest hint of a mocking grin – when she had pledged her allegiance to him.

Lokar reached into his belt-pouch and produced his x-reader, before holding it up before him. A globe of bluish-white light appeared around the small device, and then it expanded to encompass the dark master and his e-teens – now including Malice – until only their silhouettes were visible.

And then they were gone.

xxxxx

Master Quantis straightened, pocketing his assortment of remedies as he did, and then he nodded, grim satisfaction showing on his hairy face. Sitting on the ground in front of him, flanked by his friends, was Boomer. His body had healed completely, a testament to the marvelous healing powers of the Redakai, but his mind had not even begun to heal, the whole ordeal leaving the young man with an intense, well founded fear of Malice.

A short time later, masters Atoch and Boddai, along with their respective students, took their leave, disappearing in a globe of light, much as Lokar and his e-teens had done, and returning to master Atoch's monastery.

**To be continued...**

**Would any of you like me to have theme music for each of the characters? **


	16. Chapter 16: Kindred spirit

**Chapter 16**

Zane eyed the punching bag, fires of rage burning in his single eye. A feral growl escaped his lips as his clenched fist punched out, striking the training instrument, sending it swinging back on the rope suspending it from the ceiling of his room. He retreated a step as the bag came swinging back in, then followed his punch up with another attack, his knee shooting out to knock the bag back anew.

As the punching bag swung around, Zane pivoted into a crouch, one leg kicking back and up, the force of the blow knocking the bag up a couple of feet, before it fell back down to the length of the rope.

Zane glowered at the punching bag for a few heartbeats, and then, with a growl that more resembled that of some rabid animal, he launched into a frenzy, pelting the training instrument with kicks and punches.

''It is not Ky, you know,'' teased a voice from behind.

As if the young Stax's name had been a cue, Zane roared, his hand swiping across, and in the same movement he wheeled about to face the speaker. ''Oh, but I wish it were,'' the Radikor e-teen said to Malice.

Malice eyed Zane's hand, which now sported red claws, tattered pieces of leather dangling from them. She then looked at the punching bag, or rather at the sand pouring from its torn side.

''How'd you get in,'' Zane asked, bewilderment on his face, his dark eye darting to the door, which stood half open. He was sure he had locked it.

''I picked the lock,'' Malice replied casually.

''You could have knocked.''

''I did, but you did not seem to hear me.''

''So you picked the lock,'' Zane asked as much as stated.

''Would you perhaps have preferred it if I had simply transformed into Fanarloki and broken the damn door down,'' Malice replied. ''It would have been easy enough, I assure you.''

Zane did not reply, just moved off to the side, where stood a wash basin, and absently began washing his face. He now wore an eye-patch over one eye. ''What do you want.''

''I came to see you.''

''Why?'' Zane asked.

''Spare me your feigned ignorance,'' Malice retorted. ''You know full well why I am here. To be blunt, I like you, and unless I miss my guess, you like me back.''

Zane did not reply, just continued to wash his face.

''Or at least I know you used to like Maya, back when you trained under the tutelage of Boddai.''

Zane froze.

''You were always trying to impress her, but she hardly ever noticed, for she only had eyes for Ky. You became frustrated, and in your hopes of outdoing Ky, you resorted to cheating. But, no matter how hard you vied for her attention, Maya, curse her name, didn't seem to notice, or more poignantly, she didn't seem to care. That was when you broke, and in an act of pure desperation, you tried to use _reflected glory_, an attack that was off limits for students to try, and for a reason.''

Zane did not respond, just stood still, staring into the wash basin.

''When your plan backfired and you were kicked out of the monastery, you began to develop a burning hatred for both Ky and Maya,'' Malice went on. ''But as much as you hated them, you hated yourself more. You hated yourself because somewhere in the darkest depths of your heart you believed yourself not good enough. That is why you always act so proud and arrogant, is it not so.''

Zane whirled about, fires of anger burning in his single eye. ''You know nothing!'' he roared, but there was little conviction in his voice.

''My story is much akin to your own,'' Malice said, the blank admittion stealing some of the heat from Zane's angry fires. ''For most of my life, my spirit was trapped in a remote corner of my own mind, from where I was cursed to watch helplessly as my life slipped past me, while that miserable wretch Maya controlled my corporeal body.''

''You can't begin to imagine how it feels,'' Malice went on, her hands trembling with rage at her sides, ''to know that life – real life, is out of your reach forever. To know that things, even as basic and simple as feeling the warmth of the sun on your bare skin, or feeling the wind blowing through your hair, is nothing more than a mocking fantasy.''

''For several years, I was in love with Ky, and I sometimes dared to entertain the hope of him rescuing me from my captivity, like the knights who rescued princesses, in the tales Boddai used read to Maya when she was a kid. But I could never have him; could never have love, for even if I reached him, he only had eyes for Maya, and as time passed, I sank deeper and deeper into the darkest depths of despair and depression, and for a long time, my only wish was to be allowed to die, so that the torture would at long last be at an end. But even death was out of my reach.''

As Malice concluded her story, a story she had not told to anyone except to this one man, she looked Zane, whose angular face showed not a trace of anger, directly in the eye, locking his one eye with her own intense gaze.

Zane found breath hard to come by, so overwhelmed was he by the fact that he and Malice, however different on the surface, were so incredibly akin to each other in terms of what they had had to go through to become the person that they were today.

He knew that the dark spirit's observations concerning him had been dead on the mark, and he was at once frightened that someone had been able to read him so completely and so honestly, and thrilled to have finally found someone who could understand him. And he could understand her, the hell she had gone through, and the lingering scars the ordeal had left upon her.

Truly they were kindred spirit.

Malice moved very close to Zane, who did not protest in the least, and then, slowly, they began to inch closer still, Malice rising up on her tiptoes, while Zane tilted his head down, his hands instinctively going around her waist. Their lips touched, a little stiffly at first, but as they melted more fully into it, all tenseness left the kiss, and they were swept away to foreign shores on a wave of unbridled passion.

Their hands trailed up and down each others bodies, as the kiss intensified, growing hungrier and even feral, with Zane biting down gently on Malice's lower lip at one point, before pulling down gently, sending pleasant shivers down her spine.

The kiss went on for many minutes, moving from gentleness to urgency, then back to gentleness, but then, as if they had sensed each others thoughts completely, they stopped, and as one they glanced over to Zane's bed, then back to each other. They exchanged quick, almost urgent nods, and then the kiss began anew, but even hungrier, and more feral this time.

Without breaking off from Zane, Malice reached up and deftly undid the front of her cloak, and then, with a shrug of her delicate shoulders, the black garment fell to the floor. Zane hurriedly pulled his shirt over his head. Malice pushed him onto the bed, almost violently, then hurriedly pulled her tank top over her head, throwing it to the side, before crawling on top of her partner, straddling him at the waist.

Zane wrapped his arms around her waist and rolled over, so that he was now on top. Malice lifted her arms above her head and arched her back, and Zane's hands went around to the spot between her shoulder-blades, where he tried to undo the bra-strap.

It was stuck.

A thousand throat-wrenching curses came to Zane's mind as he tried futily to unstrap the brassier. His frustration mounted rapidly, building up to an explosive level, and when Malice chuckled, he actually considered burning the damn strap in two with his inner-kair and be done with it, but he managed to refrain. _Come on you stupid thing, get loose, _he thought, _get loose, or so help me I'll..._

With a barely audible ''click,'' the bra-strap loosened, and the black undergarment lay slack across Malice's bosom. Zane started to remove it, but Malice held it fast with one hand, flashing him a wry grin, and then she kicked lightly at his leg, or more particularly at the dark fabric of his pants.

Catching the cue, Zane stood back up and unbuckled his belt, then proceeded to remove his breaches. Malice meanwhile just lay there, one leg dangling from the edge of the bed, tapping on the floor.

When he was done, Zane moved back to the bed, and as he came over Malice, she slowly, teasingly, pulled the brassier away, leaving her bosom bare, then she hurriedly shed down to her panties.

Both bare to the waist, they came together in a hungry kiss, rolling to and fro on the bed in a torrent of unbridled passion. Then they paused for a few moments, eyes locked firmly, the two basking in the knowledge that they were no longer alone in the world, and then, both smiling widely, they shed what remained of their clothing, and consummated their love.

xxxxx

A couple of hours later, when they were done, the two parted, and Malice returned to her own room, thoroughly exhausted, both emotionally and physically, but happier than she had ever been, and ready for some much-needed sleep.

She initially started for her bed, but stopped in mid-stride, instead turning to the side and walking over to her desk, a large and dark, wooden affair, stationed up against the wall, complete with several drawers, its top strewn with a variety of books and papers, and a half-melted candle.

Malice reached into one drawer, and from it she produced a small key, and with it she opened a secret compartment in that same drawer, and from it she took an old book, a thick and heavy tome, bound in black leather. She had acquired this book from Lokar's private library.

She carefully opened the book, reverently flipping through its yellowed pages, until she finally came to a page where were the instructions for an ancient kairu-technique, that allowed its user's spirit to walk free of its corporeal trappings, and, among other things, do battle with the spirit of another free-willed creature. The same technique master Boddai had used to lock her away.

''Soon...'' the dark spirit purred to herself.

**To be continued...**

**I really feel like I should have described the love-scene more fully; after all, I described with some degree of detail how Malice tore Nexus throat out and blew Vexus head off, then ran some unlucky Scottish guardsman through the neck with the head of his own trident, and not to mention all the times I've injured and even maimed some of the characters (and there is some really brutal shit on the way soon). Anyway, see you guys next time. **


	17. Chapter 17: The gathering storm

**Chapter 17**

Corathrax, the gihox chieftain, lounged comfortably in his throne in the immense cavern that served as the throne-hall of his mountain-lair. A pair of grim-faced guards, each clutching a nine foot spear, stood on either side of the dais holding the throne. To the side of the throne there lay a huge hound, its massive head lying across its front paws. Corathrax stroked the beast's muscular neck, as he studied the human that stood before the dais.

It was a woman, obviously, though that was the extent to which the chieftain could analyze the figure, for the jet-black cloak she wore covered her wholly, its frayed hem almost brushing the ground, the cowl pulled low to shadow her face.

''Who are ye?'' Corathrax barked in his stony voice, ''and what are ye about?''

The young woman reached up and pulled back the hood of her cloak, revealing her blue hair and purple eyes for all in attendance to see. ''Me name's Malice, great Corathrax,'' she said in the gihox language, the words rolling off her tongue effortlessly and with perfect inflection, ''and I've come to make yerself an offer ye can't refuse.''

''And what could ye possibly have to offer that would interest me?''

It was at that moment that another gihox, a barrel-chested brute with bulging arms, thicker of girth than a meaty thigh, and a grotesquely disfigured face, with garish light-brown scar-tissue crisscrossing his square-chinned features, walked into the throne-hall.

This was Karabraxis, the dark spirit recognized, for prior to coming to the lair of this, the largest and most powerful of all the scattered gihox tribes, she had spent some time silently observing the tribe from afar, learning about its hierarchy, and it was during those long hours of reconnaissance that she had discerned Cortharax to be the chieftain, and the scarred brute to be his second-in-command.

''Well?'' a bored Cortharax demanded, his stout fingers drumming impatiently on the armrest of his throne.

''What I'm offerin' yerself and yer kin, 'tis a place in me army,'' Malice said.

Cortharax's dark eyes widened at that proclamation, and an angry expression crossed his craggy features. ''Ye're askin' meself, Cortharax, to grovel like a slave at yer stinkin' feet?'' the gihox chieftain balked incredulously, his huge hands gripping the armrests of his great chair so forcefully that Malice honestly thought the stone would simply break apart under the pressure. ''Why, I oughta have yer wretched hide flain from yer stinkin' bones slow, while ye're still livin', ye miserable rat.''

''Aye,'' Karabraxis griped in. ''Why would the gihox play servant to a puny human.''

''Because,'' Malice began, holding up one slender finger to emphasize her point, ''if ye agree to me terms and serve me well, then know that when this planet has been conquered, it will be for yerselves to rule as ye're seein' fit. What I'm offerin' ye is a chance to take back what is yer own, and rebuild the ancient slave empire of the gihox. Think of it. Hunnerds and hunnerds of humans, slavin' away to yer every whim.''

Cortharax stroked his chin, deep in thought. For many centuries the gihox race had fought to simply survive, for after the humans had overthrown them, the giants had been driven into the hills and mountains, where they had been forced to scratch a living out of rocks, with many dying simply from starvation or lack of shelter. And now Malice had come along and offered him and his folk a chance to overthrow the wretched humans, and reclaim the planet for the giants once more. He certainly couldn't deny the obvious appeal of the offer.

But then Cortharax looked around himself, at the gray and brown walls of his throne-hall, the place where he was king, at the armed guards flanking the dais, who would kill Malice if only he commanded them to do so. He had dozens of human-slaves around the lair, for labor, sport and good eating, with new replacements being brought in from time to time by gihox raiding parties, and the lair also boasted a fair-sized harem-chamber, full of gihox-women for his whims.

His life was good as it was, and he would be jeprodizing that life if he marched to war against the humans.

''I've decided that we'll not be warrin' with the humans,'' Cortharax announced.

Malice was surprised, for she had expected the giant chieftain to jump at her offer, eager to return the gihox race to its former glory. But he had turned down the offer, and that fact made the dark spirit's blood boil with outrage.

But her anger survived only as long as it took her to notice the look of complete and utter outrage painted indelibly on the scarred visage of Karbraxis, though with a face so maimed it could be difficult to discern his emotions, and she could sense that the disfigured giant's ire was not directed toward her, but rather toward Corathrax, and his refusal to the dark spirit's terms.

Malice smiled inwardly, thinking that all might not be lost.

''Since ye came here with good intentions, little one,'' Corathrax began, ''for meself and for me kin, and since I'm a generous host, I'll be lettin' ye walk out of here in one piece. But know that if ye're ever to step a foot in this place again, then its off to the slave galleys with ye, unless of course me Grimm is feeling hungry.'' The gihox chieftain patted the large dog's muscular neck and laughed uproariously.

That laughter followed Malice as she exited the chamber, and the lair of the gihox.

xxxxx

When she was well beyond the borders of the tribe's territory, Malice sat down in a cross-legged pose inside a crack at the base of a high stone wall. She pressed her palms against each other in close to her breast, closed her eyes and concentrated.

Malice was about to try the ancient kairu-technique master Boddai had used to seal her spirit away within a dark corner of her own mind, all those years ago. She was not about to use it to lock anyone's soul away, though, for that was but one of the technique's many uses. She could not have done so in any case, for the dark spirit had only mastered a few uses of the technique.

She was going to do something much simpler.

Malice focused, establishing a mental connection between herself and Karbraxis, and then, with the connection to the scarred giant secured, the dark spirit sent a telepathic message through that mental connection, into Karbraxis' mind.

A telepathic message came back from Karbraxis almost immediately, and Malice responded by sending a second one, before receiving another telepathic message from the giant, and then the dark spirit sent another one. And so it went, back and forth, back and forth, for more than an hour, and when the connection finally broke, with the dark spirit being unable to maintain it any longer, she did not worry, for she had faith that Karbraxis would perform his task to perfection.

Exhausted from using the technique, which was referred to as Gleipnir in the book Malice had found it in, the dark spirit curled up within the crack in the side of the cliff, her cloak wrapped tightly about her form. Then, even though the sun was still high up in the sky, bathing the dry, cracked wasteland with its merciless rays, the dark spirit drifted off into sleep.

xxxxx

Malice awoke some hours later, to find that the sun had set, and the moon was already up in the sky. She stood up, brushing herself off, and then she walked out of the crack, and about a hundred feet from the base of the cliff wall, to a spot where she could easily be spotted by anyone who cared to look.

For an hour Malice waited, and then another, and at the end of that second hour she spotted the burly, towering shape of a gihox, trudging heavily her way. She could not discern the giant's identity from this distance, but as he drew nearer, she could make out the mass of scar-tissue that covered the brute's face. It was Karbraxis, of that there was no doubt, and apparently he had a canvas sack slung over one huge shoulder.

''Ye're late,'' Malice said in the gihox tongue, as the giant came to a stop before her, towering over the dark spirit at ten feet. With a guttural grunt, the giant dumped the sack's contents at Malice's feet, and then both he and the dark spirit smiled wickedly, as the severed head of Cortharax rolled around in the loose dirt.

''Ye're the gihox chieftain now, Karbraxis,'' Malice announced.

The giant went down on one knee and bowed his head respectfully before the dark spirit, which made him about as tall as her. ''I lead the gihox,'' the giant barked in his stony voice, ''and I serve yerself, mistress.''

''Venture forth and spread the word that war is coming,'' Malice instructed. ''Bring those remaining gihox tribes who do not serve me into my fold; we're going to need all the soldiers we can muster if we are to prevail against our formidable enemies.''

''It will be done, mistress.''

''And one more thing,'' Malice said, reaching into her belt-pouch, and pulling forth a small piece of fabric, before handing it over to the giant. Karbraxis looked the patch over, his hideous features crinkling up with confusion. Sowed upon the light-gray fabric-patch was a pair of eyes, one purple, and the other covered with an eye-patch. ''I want each of yer men to create a duplicate of this emblem,'' the dark spirit instructed to the new gihox chieftain, ''and they are to wear it once we go into battle.''

The giant grinned when battle was mentioned, then bowed low, and walked away, back toward his lair.

Malice produced her x-reader from her belt-pouch, and with the press of a button she activated the teleportation feature she had installed in the small device, and in a flash of colored light she disappeared.

**To be continued...**

**Here are the first two songs for the story: **

Hexus, Vexus and Nexus (they are pretty much the same guy so I put one song for the three of them) = **Du Riecht So Gut**, by Rammstein.

Gleipnir = **Gleipnir**, by Skálmöld


	18. Chapter 18: Experiences

**I need to mention that the chapter contains some content, which might not suit people who are under the T age restriction, and those folks who are sensitive to, or might easily get offended by, reading about certain adult practices. And just to answer a question posed by a reader of mine; indeed, the Hiverax are quite dead, and since I did not decide to put songs for the characters until very recently, and since the Hiverax were pretty instrumental in the shaping of the story's first part, I decided to put a song for them. But as I said before, they are quite dead. Also, I think I will put a song for another character at the end of this story. So without further adieu, on to the story. **

**Chapter 18**

Ky slowly made his winding way along a narrow trail in a forest of short but majestic trees, a little way to the south of master Atoch's monastery, their leaves showing just the slightest hint of red, heralding the steady onset of autumn. The young man paused from time to time to steal a look at the rough map of the region he held, a hand-drawn affair, whose penning indicated it as Maya's creation. Indeed, Ky had found the map in the young woman's room, when he had come to visit her earlier that evening, but Maya had not been there, only the map, neatly folded and a note attached to it that bade him follow the map.

And so he was out here, following the map's instructions, gradually making his way to where the ground sloped down gently, and Ky knew that a small river loomed somewhere up ahead, beyond the trees.

He knew Maya had been coming out here pretty frequently the last few days, though for what purpose he knew not, for the young woman had steadfastly refused to divulge any information concerning the matter. Ky had to admit to himself that the thought had crossed his mind once that Maya was meeting with someone else, but he had quickly dismissed that notion and berated himself for thinking so low of the young woman.

Ky came to a fork in the trail, with one path going straight ahead and then gradually turning to the left, and the young man knew that trail would eventually lead him into the low foothills of some nearby mountains, while the other path went to the right and wound down to the bank of the small river.

According to the map he was supposed to take the trail that went to the right, and so he took that path, walking for several minutes before coming to a spot where the roots of trees had almost completely blocked the path, reaching out of the ground like tentacles and becoming entwined, forming a natural barrier of brown bark and green moss.

Ky folded the map carefully and put it in his trouser-pocket, then climbed over the root-tangle, dropping down lightly on the other side, and retrieving the map and studying it once more.

On he went, the path swerving sharply to the right, then continuing along the bank of the river, steadily leading the young man up stream for a couple of minutes, before giving way to a waterfall, the last slanted rays of day shining upon the frothing water, reflecting off of it, and bathing the scene in a serene reddish-gold light.

The sight confused Ky as much as it intrigued him, for the waterfall was a dead end, anchored on either side by a sheer cliff-wall, too steep and slick with the spray of the water to be climbed, that reached back the way the young man had come.

Ky looked at the map again and scratched his head in a perplexed manner, wondering where Maya wanted him to go next, for the map clearly showed that he had not yet reached the final destination designated by the parchment. According to the map, his destination, which was marked by a thick red **x**, was somewhere up ahead, but the waterfall was blocking the way.

That is when it struck Ky.

He moved closer to the waterfall, to the ledge beside it, and bending to the side, he peeked in behind the frothing water, and sure enough, there was the entrance to a cave, extending deeper into darkness. Ky folded the map and put it away in the inside-pocket of his blue jacket, then he pressed his back tightly against the slick stone beside the waterfall, and slid behind the frothing water and into the cave.

He reached into the inside-pocket of his jacket, hoping against hope that the spray from the waterfall, which had dampened his clothing somewhat, had not gotten through to, and ruined, the map.

Ky sighed with relief as his fingers touched dry paper.

He pulled forth the map, looking for the waterfall, and from there finding the spot where he was currently located. He walked deeper into the cave, putting the map away for this last leg of his trek was through a single tunnel of gray stone.

Why would Maya want him to follow her to this place? Certainly there were many other locations in the nearby forest or down by the side of the river, where they could have met, and surely any of those places would have been more welcoming than this dark and dreary place.

The tunnel sloped down, gently at first, but it gradually became steeper, though not too much so, so it still allowed for easy passage, and as the young man went deeper and deeper, the air steadily grew warmer and warmer and more humid. And then, as Ky entered the immense cavern that dominated this complex of underground tunnels, all of his previous reservations concerning the cavern died away, as he beheld the splendor of the place.

The walls of the cavern were of rough, brown stone, streaked in several places with gray, and both the walls and the high ceiling of the place were strewn with clumps of clear mica crystals. Many underground lakes, some small and shallow, others large and deep, and spring-fed, judging by the thin steam that rose from their surface, were scattered throughout the immense chamber. The sound of droplets falling from stalactites from on high and hitting the water permeated the cavern, and what light was in the chamber seemed to emanate from behind a tight cluster of stalagmites in the far left corner, its orange glow and perpetual flickering hinting of a fire.

Ky suddenly noticed slight movement out on the largest of the lakes, though with the meager lighting of the place and the thin veil of mist that rose up from the warm waters, he could not see clearly its source. He had a hunch, though, as to what might be disturbing the stillness of the water, and so he moved closer to the bank and peered out into the distance, and sure enough, there he spotted the form of a swimmer. The swimmer approached, but before she came into clear view, she dove under, covering the last expanse to the bank, and as her head burst out of the water near the bank, Ky saw that his hunch was correct and that it was Maya.

Ky noticed something then, further down along the bank of the lake; a pile of clothes: a white and red west, a long green tunic and matching breeches, both emblazoned with exotic blue symbols, a pair of tanned leather boots, trimmed in fur, and, to the young man's utter shock, a black brassier and matching panties.

Ky could feel his face growing bright-red and impossibly hot, and he wondered if the flesh would simply melt from his skull. Maya's clothes lay there in a heap on the bank, and she did not appear to be wearing a bathing-suit; seemed not to be waring anything at all, though her clever positioning in the water placed her up against the bank, its brim covering the young woman from the neck down.

''What?'' Maya asked, feigned innocence in her voice, the gleam in her amber eyes, and the smile curling her lip, both bordering on the wicked.

''So...'' Ky began, trying desperately to regain some measure of his composure, but Maya's allure could not be denied, and the fact he could not see her below the neck made his imagination race all the more furiously. ''Nice place you've got here,'' he said, though in truth be told, the cavern, splendid though it was, could not hold his attention for any length of time.

''Thanks,'' Maya said, crossing her arms over the bank, then resting her chin atop them. ''Master Atoch told me about it a few days ago, and since I wanted to see the crystals, I came here. I told him I'd be doing some experiments.''

''So, have you done any,'' Ky asked mischievously, looking at the young woman from under raised eyebrows, a knowing smile widening across his angular face.

''No, for I did not have the means,'' Maya said, smiling widely, ''two are required for this experiment. Do you volunteer?''

''I love experiments,'' Ky replied, ''count me in.''

''Alright then,'' Maya said, clapping her hands together delightedly. ''But first things first; your clothes look uncomfortable.'' Before he had a chance to realize what he was doing, Ky was removing his jacket, then he pulled his shirt over his head, then came the shoes, his belt and his trousers.

Before he had a chance to shed the remainder of his clothing, Maya climbed onto the bank, and the young man, who had never seen Maya naked before, or any other girl for that matter, nearly toppled over. Somehow, in spite of the daze, Ky managed to remove his underwear, and he could see that Maya's cheeks showed just the slightest hint of red, for neither had she seen him, or any other boy, naked before.

''Come,'' Maya bade Ky, taking his hand in her own, and then she led him behind the cluster of stalagmites in the far left corner of the large chamber, where, as Ky had expected, a small fire blazed. A large makeshift bed, made entirely of cushions and blankets, stood up against the stone-wall, and Maya fell down on it, and since she was still clutching Ky's hand, she took him along for the ride, pulling the young man down on top of her.

As the young man came over the young woman, he locked her lips with his own in a passionate and almost feral kiss, their hands trailing over each other's bodies, finger-tips grazing soft skin, with more than a little tongue action going on. They paused then, polished amber locking fast with burnished sapphire, and then, without uttering a single word, Maya reached down low, and slowly guided Ky in between her thighs.

xxxxx

When the deed was done about an hour and a half later, they just lay there in each other's arms atop the makeshift bed, the pair of them completely spent, and covered in sweat from head to toe. Maya extricated herself from the young man's arms, and gingerly walked off toward the pool she had been swimming in before Ky had arrived. ''Want to go swimming?'' she asked her lover, who offered her a nod in reply, and then the young woman turned to the pool and dove in.

xxxxx

Karbraxis, the gihox chieftain, stood on a low hill, watching from afar as a hundred of his kin-folk, and thrice that number of human slaves, milled about the grass-covered valley spread out before him. A construction was going on down there, with the pitiful humans dragging huge, square-hewn blocks of black stone about on logs, and with most of the giants also hard at work, though their toil was more of an intellectual nature, calculating and planning. A few of the gihox stood behind the humans, their whips cracking with merciless abandon, drawing lines in the backs of the battered slaves.

Karbraxis smiled his hideous smile as he gazed upon what had already been built of the great structure, the lowermost part of the great fortress of the dark spirit, an already gigantic affair, which would only grow in size and become more imposing in stature.

Karbraxis closed his dark eyes, imagining the near future, when the black mass of the gihox host – which was growing larger and more powerful with each passing day – would sweep forth from this place to lay waste to the world of men. The giant put his huge fist against his massive chest, vowing that the miserable humans would pay for usurping the gihox, and subsequently almost driving the giant race to extinction.

And the time to do that would come soon, the dark spirit had promised the gihox chieftain, as soon as she had dealt with a little matter concerning her grandfather, and had enlisted the aid of a young man, who was supposedly her lover, who would come to serve as a general beside Karbraxis, the giant chieftain.

**To be continued...**

**Here is another song for a character:**

Zane = **Jet black dress**, by Miracle of Sound


	19. Chapter 19: Conspiracies

**I have been having writer's block these past few days, but at long last the spirit came over me and I finished this chapter. Just before we begin, I would like to answer a question posed by a reader of mine, who asked why I changed the rating for this story from T to M. The answer is because: A) people were telling me that I needed to do it. B) There is love-making in this story, and while I do not agree that a story should be rated M just because there are suggestive themes of that nature in it. But just because it is rated M doesn't mean that it will change very much, so people who were reading it before the change can still read it; and there will be warnings at the beginning of chapters with sexual content. But enough of that, let's get on with the story.  
**

**Chapter 19**

''You're planning to do what?'' Zane asked, incredulity edging his voice. He had been training in his room, taking his anger and frustration out on his punching bag, pelting the instrument with punches and kicks, when the dark spirit had knocked on his door, claiming that she had important news for him.

''Betray Lokar,'' Malice replied matter of factly.

''And you want me to join you?''

''Indeed,'' the dark spirit said.

Zane began pacing anxiously about the room. He remembered the last time he had betrayed his master, and how Lokar had gotten back at him. True, the dark master had taken him back in, some time later, but not before making abundantly clear to Zane that he was not one to be crossed.

Dared Zane betray his master a second time?

''I know what you're thinking,'' Malice said. ''Don't fret, my lover. Lokar won't be able to get back at you this time around.''

''Do you mean to kill him?'' Zane asked.

Malice shook her head. ''He is still my grandfather,'' she said. ''However, that doesn't mean I'll tolerate him meddling with my plans.''

''So what are you gonna do?'' Zane asked.

''I'm going to neutralize him.''

Zane breathed a long sigh. ''Alright,'' he said. ''But I'm only taking this risk for you.''

''There's no risk,'' Malice purred, stroking Zane's firm jaw. ''I've got everything under control.''

''You always do,'' Zane replied with a smirk.

''And by the way,'' Malice said. ''Now that you've joined me, there is something that I need to show you.'' Malice reached into her belt-pouch, pulling forth her x-reader, then she pressed a button, and a globe of light encompassed the pair. When the light dissipated a few moments later, they were no longer standing in Zane's room, but on a rocky mountain-side, overlooking a grass-covered valley.

Zane's mouth dropped open.

Milling about the floor of the valley were thousands of forms, tiny from this vantage point, though Zane could still discern that some of the forms were smaller than the others, obviously humans, while some were taller and much bulkier, with huge, corded muscles and broad shoulders; gihox by the look of them.

And then there was the great fortress that the humans and the gihox were building, a gargantuan structure of polished obsidian, complete with great arching bridges and elegant, sweeping walkways, a massive gatehouse, and a myriad of tall, tapering spires, reaching for the sky. The construction had not yet been completed, with parts of the outer wall and some of the great spires having not been fully built, and the whole interior of the place was still being worked on and decorated.

But the time of its completion was drawing near.

''Whose fortress is this?'' Zane asked. ''A rival, perhaps?''

''No, not a rival,'' Malice said. ''This fortress belongs to me.''

Zane's dark eye widened. ''But the gihox are building it,'' he said.

''The gihox work for me,'' Malice explained. ''I have promised to lead them against the humans, and help them reclaim the planet that once belonged to them.''

Zane's face crinkled up with confusion. ''But why would we want to help them take over?'' he asked. ''I thought we were going to take over the world for ourselves.''

''I have no interest in the politics of governing a planet,'' Malice said. ''We'll help the gihox reclaim the earth, and then they will rule it in our name. Why settle for being a king when you could be a god?'' Malice grinned. ''And then, once the earth has been conquered, we'll find another planet to take over, and once the regent there is secured, we'll move on to another, and then another, until the entire universe is ours.''

Zane didn't know what to say, for he was intrigued beyond words.

''And I have a gift for you,'' Malice continued, producing her x-reader. ''I happened to upon a shadow-kairu deposit the other day, and thought you might be interested in this x-drive.'' A picture of a monster appeared, hovering above the screen of the dark spirit's x-reader. It was a large wolf, with a shaggy coat of pitch-black fur, and a pair of red-glowing eyes. ''It is called Managarm.''

Zane took up his own x-reader, and the monster x-drive was transferred to it. ''I don't know what to say,'' he stammered.

''I'm sure you'll find some way to repay me,'' Malice said mischievously, a lewd twinkle in her purple eyes, her fingers trailing down Zane's thigh.

Zane responded by wrapping his arms around her. ''Oh, but I will,'' he promised. ''You can count on it.'' He was about to move in for a kiss, when he noticed that Malice wasn't looking him in the eye, but was looking off to the side, to where a band of five gihox, ten feet tall and more than four thousand pounds of muscle and bone, were approaching.

The grim party was led by one massive gihox, an impressive specimen indeed, taller than all the others at twelve feet, his face so hideously scarred and disfigured that he was appalling to behold.

''Great, here comes Karbraxis,'' Malice said, lament edging her voice, as she ruefully extricated herself from her lover's embrace and walked over to stand tall before the scarred behemoth that was her general. The beast came to a halt a few feet from the dark spirit, so that they were able look each other in the face.

''The construction goes well, mistress,'' Karbraxis said, dropping a quick curtsey that was intended for Malice, the giant ignoring Zane completely. ''At the rate that its goin' it'll be completed in about a fortnight I say.''

Malice nodded, then swept her arm out wide toward Zane. ''Karbraxis,'' she said in the guttural gihox tongue, ''I give to ye Zane Radikor, the man who'll be servin' beside ye as me general. In the case of meself bein' absent, he'll be speaking for meself. I trust the two of ye'll come to respect one another.''

Karbraxis dropped another quick courtsey. ''As yerself sais, mistress.''

Malice smiled, reveling in the fact that the strong and proud gihox chieftain followed her so devoutly. ''Bring me a dozen of yer finest warriors,'' she said to the giant. ''I need their help with something.''

''Aye, mistress,'' Karbraxis said, respectfully dropping a third curtsey, then he walked off toward the valley, to where his kinfolk were hard at work building the dark spirit's great fortress.

xxxxx

Boomer lay in his bunk, his eyes vaguely making out the bottom of Ky's bunk above him. His friend was not in his bunk this night. He was off with Maya somewhere, no doubt, the two lovebirds probably smooching as if there were no tomorrow.

Boomer sighed.

While he was glad that Ky and Maya had found each other, he couldn't help but feel a pang of loneliness. It was not because they were now spending less time with him, oddly enough, but because being in such close proximity to such romance reminded him of an empty spot in his own heart, a spot reserved for that special girl.

Boomer rolled onto his side. He wondering where that special girl was right now. Was she close by? Or was she on the other side of the planet? He did not doubt he would find her someday. His quests took him all over the world, after all, and so it was only a matter of time before he found her.

It was with those pleasant thoughts in mind that Boomer fell asleep.

xxxxx

''What is the meaning of this?'' Lokar demanded, leaning forward in his throne, his features contorted with consternation at the unexpected appearance of his granddaughter, Zane standing beside her, and even more so at the contingent of twelve, fully armed and armored gihox warriors that stood behind the pair.

''You look surprised, grandfather,'' Malice said, smiling wryly.

Lokar did not immediately reply, his head snapping about, his withering gaze falling upon Zane. ''Cur,'' he hissed through gritted teeth, the one-eyed warrior shrinking away from that glare in spite of himself. ''I may have forgiven you your treachery before, Zane, but rest assured that my generosity towards you has officially reached its end. You chose your side freely, and you chose wrong. Now, prepare to suffer the consequences.''

''You're in no position to make threats, old man,'' Malice interjected, pointing over her shoulder at the armed and armored soldiers at their backs. ''After all, we brought some friends along for the trip.''

Lokar surprised the traitors then by laughing uproariously, then he turned his wild-eyed gaze upon his unruly granddaughter. ''Little good they will do you!'' he bellowed, his arm shooting out and loosing a beam of reddish-purple energy at the nearest gihox. The giant shuddered, then he looked down in stupefaction at the hole in its chest, for the attack had blasted right through his breastplate. The gihox, blood trickling from his lips, looked to its companions, then fell over, qite dead.

Lokar extended his other arm, and crackling tendrils of purple lightning shot out from his extended fingers, but the attack did not strike Malice and Zane, rather it swerved around them to the eleven remaining gihox. The giant contingent jerked spasmadically, thin wisps of smoke wafting up from them, and then the attack stopped abruptly. With blood trickling from their mouth, nose and ears, the gihox crumpled to the ground.

Lokar chuckled and leaned back in his throne, quite pleased with himself, and as he leaned back, though the two traitors did not notice it, his finger brushed over a small button on the armrest of his great chair.

Zane looked around at the dead gihox around him, pearls of sweat trickling down his forehead. He wondered if he had been wise in agreeing to follow Malice into treachery; wondered if his heart had led him erroneously to his death. But then he looked to his lover, who, in spite of all that had happened, seemed a picture of perfect calm, with not a single bead of sweat glistening on her tanned complexion. He knew then beyond doubt that he had indeed chosen correctly.

''An impressive display of power,'' Malice complimented, nodding her approval, then she tossed her cloak back over her shoulders, freeing up her arms. ''But your power will not avail you in a battle against me.'' Malice closed her eyes, and then began to slowly move her hands in circles before her, as if she were performing some sort of ritual.

''A lesson in humility would do you good,'' Lokar exclaimed, his thin lips drawing back into a wicked grin. ''A lesson I would be more than happy to...'' The words died in his mouth suddenly, as Malice attacked him; not physically, for she was still standing before the throne, eyes closed and hands moving harmoniously before her, but spiritually, with her very spirit shooting out from her corporeal body, and into Lokar.

Malice could no longer perceive her physical surroundings in any way, for she was no longer a part of her corporeal form. She did, however, perceive her spiritual surroundings, a vast plain of darkness, with gray fog drifting up about her. Across the way she could see the spirit of Lokar, a mass of insubstantial black fog shaped roughly like his corporeal form, with eyes that glowed with purple light.

Malice looked down at her own spiritual form, and saw that she too appeared as a shadowy version of her corporeal body, with purple lights burning in her eyes. She smiled, a line of purple light spreading across her spiritual face where her mouth would have been.

Malice turned her attention fully upon Lokar, and then the two spirits rushed toward each other, slamming together, the collision sending a wave of pure spiritual energy rolling out powerfully from the two battling spirits, like a ripple in a pond.

xxxxx

Zane did not know what Malice was doing, but he could see from the way sweat was rolling down her forehead, and down that of Lokar, that she was engaged in some form of combat that was far beyond his understanding.

''Well well,'' came a whiny, feminine voice from behind him. ''What do we have hear? A traitor who is about to get his butt handed to him by Team Imperiaz.'' Zane turned around to see Diara and her two siblings walk into the room. He looked back at Lokar, and saw that a button was blinking red on the armrest of his great chair.

Lokar had summoned the Imperiaz.

''I'm afraid you've got things backwards, Diara,'' Zane retorted. ''You're the ones who are gonna get your butts handed to you, and I'll be doing the handing.'' He dropped into the customary bow for a kairu-challenge, his fists pressed together at the knuckles before him. ''If you'd like to prove me wrong then by all means go ahead and accept my challenge,'' Zane said, a wicked smile on his face.

''Fine,'' Koz said, reciprocating the bow, as did his two siblings. ''Challenge accepted.''

''BRUTERON!'' Zane exclaimed, then he roared as the power of his monster surged through his body, empowering him with its awesome might. He dropped into a defensive-crouch then, waiting for the Imperiaz to stack up.

''HURRICADE!... GRINDOID!... BANDROBE!'' the Imperiaz exclaimed, roaring furiously as the tremendous power of their signature-monsters surged through their bodies, and then they assumed their fighting-stances.

xxxxx

Malice sent every ounce of her considerable willpower against Lokar, who answered in equal measure, sending one ripple of spiritual energy after the other rolling powerfully out from the two embattled spirits. But Lokar was the weaker, for he had long ago given up a piece of his soul for the creation of the shadow kairu, thus decreasing his power in a match of pure spiritual strength such as this.

Malice roared and drove on, her spiritual claws reaching out and clamping about the spiritual head of her opponent. Lokar tried furiously to resist, but he was outmatched, and found himself being driven down to his spiritual knees. His purple eyes wide with terror, the dark master looked up at his opponent.

Malice looked down at Lokar, then lifted one hand up in front of his face, one finger extended. Then, with a purple-glowing smile, she pressed that extended finger against his spiritual forehead, and as she did, intense pain racked them both to their very core.

xxxxx

A worried look came over Zane's face as he heard Malice and Lokar scream in agony behind him. He could not rush off to check on his lover, though, for he was thick into it with Diara and her siblings. Besides, he doubted he could be of any use to Malice, even if he somehow managed to extricate himself from combat, and so he fought on with all the fury and all the skill he could possibly muster.

''SHADOW-SWORD!'' he roared, and a blackish-green blade appeared in his grasp. He lifted the weapon up above his head, lining Teeny up for a throw, and then he heaved with all his strength. The sword spun head over pommel, but its trajectory was all wrong, and the weapons swished harmlessly by its intended target. Zane growled a low curse. Since he only had one eye, he had little-to-no depth-perception, and so it was more difficult for him to use ranged attacks that required such a level of precision.

''RECKONING SMACK!'' Diara exclaimed, slapping at the air in Zane's direction, and a red, disembodied hand shot out from her, striking Zane squarely and throwing him backward through the air to crash into a nearby wall.

Zane shakily got back to his feet. ''MAN O' WAR!'' he roared, extending his hands, and a creature, resembling a monstrously large jellyfish, shot out from him, and the aberration extended its tentacle in turn, the whip-like appendage striking Diara squarely and sending her tumbling backwards and to the ground, paralyzed.

''You'll pay for that!'' Teeny exclaimed, lifting her hand to throw another attack, but the jellyfish reached out and grabbed her by the ankle, lifting her up and sending jolts of stinging pain through her, before tossing her paralyzed form like garbage off to the side.

Another tentacle reached out for Koz, but he managed to jump out of the way, and when a second attempt was made by the jellyfish to grab him, the e-teen dove into a sidelong roll, right out of harms way.

Or so he thought.

As Koz came out of the roll, he saw Zane leaping in at him, leading with a heavt punch that stung the young Imperiaz on the ribs, and sent him staggering back and then drop down to one knee. The jellyfish lashed out at him then, its whip-like appendage smacking him across the chest, sending him flying backwards into a wall, paralyzed from the neck down, as were his two siblings.

''Looks like I win,'' Zane remarked, his lips parting into a wicked smile. He walked over to stand before Princess Diara, who had managed to rise up to her elbows. A blackish-green sword appeared in the one-eyed warrior's hand. ''And now for the penalty,'' he said, lifting the sword up above his head.

Princess Diara looked up, a horrified expression on her pretty face. ''But who will save mommy and daddy?'' she managed to stammer, right before Zane's shadow-sword split her skull open.

''Diara!'' Koz screamed, his tangerine-colored eyes wide with grief and horror, and he somehow managed to put his feet under him, and leap in at Zane's back. But the one-eyed warrior was ready. Zane spun around to meet the desperate launch, and extended his blade, and as Koz came soaring in, he impaled himself on the sword, up to the hilt, right through his belly. Zane smiled into Koz's dying expression, then tore his blade free, and swung it across neck-high, lopping the young man's head off.

''Bastard!'' Teeny cried out, tears streaming down her cheeks. She tried to get up, but could not, and thus she could offer little resistance as Zane calmly walked over and slashed open her throat.

The Imperiaz were dead.

xxxxx

Unbearable agony racked the two embattled spirits, as Malice attuned her spirit to that of Lokar. They could each see images from each other's minds flashing wildly before their eyes, too rapidly for them to be able to make any sense of them. Malice concentrated, blocking out all the pain and confusing images, focusing solely on finding that which she searched for within Lokar's spirit.

Then Malice found what she was looking for, a thin line of purple energy, and she knew instinctively that it was no memory from Lokar's mind, but his center, the part of his being that made him able to channel kairu energy. Malice grinned evilly, and sent a stream of her willpower into that line, focusing her every thought into creating a discord in Lokar's line of energy.

Malice could hear Lokar's spirit protest, as his line of energy started swaying to and fro, only slightly at first, but gradually it began to build up tempo, the line swaying from side to side discordantly. And then the line snapped in two, and the explosion of pure spiritual energy that ensued was so powerful that it actually hurled Malice's spirit out of Lokar, and back into her waiting form, which still stood before the throne.

So forceful was Malice's return to her own corporeal body, that she was thrown onto her back, the dark spirit sliding a couple of feet backwards along the smooth floor. Malice propped herself up on one elbow and looked up at Lokar, who had stood up from the throne, and was now standing on shaky legs, his amber colored eyes wide with shock and horror, staring at the dark spirit in disbelief.

Lokar took a deep breath, reached back with one shaking arm, as if he were about to loose and attack, and then he threw his hand forward. No attack came forth, but Lokar was thrown off balance by the gesture, and he fell flat on his face before Malice. ''What have you done to me?'' his question was a hoarse whisper.

''I've taken away your ability to channel kairu,'' Malice exclaimed, getting back to her feet and brushing herself off. ''You will never again be able to throw even the most simple of kairu attacks. Consider yourself lucky that I didn't choose to destroy your spirit.''

Lokar rose up on his knees and stared at his shaking hands. The circular spot in the center of his chest no longer glowed, and the diagonal scar across his face and the veins on his arms that had once shone with a purple light were now dull and ungleaming.

''You are defeated, grandfather,'' Malice stated. ''I'll allow you to leave this place with your life intact. But I suggest that you take your leave now, while you still have the chance, for this place will be coming down soon enough, and I sincerely doubt that you'll be able to survive such an explosion a second time around.''

Lokar stared up at Malice with hate-filled eyes, then he got back up on his feet, and shakily walked away, passing by Zane without seeming to notice him, the former dark master making his way over to the door.

''How did you do that?'' an awe-stricken Zane asked.

''I'll explain later,'' Malice said, looking up at the massive shadow-kairu container that hung down from the high ceiling. A many-thonged whip of green flame appeared in the dark spirit's hand, and then she reached back with the instrument, and lashed at the container with the whip. A crack ran down the middle of the container, and the whole place began to shake, only slightly at first, but the trembling gradually got more violent, until parts of the ceiling began to come crumbling down.

''Come,'' Malice said, motioning for Zane to come and stand by her side, as she took up her x-reader, and after pressing a single button on the modified device, the two disappeared in a flash of light.

A short while later, after the shaking had reached its peak, the container exploded, reducing the entire lair to a pile of rubble, and destroying the bodies of the Imperiaz, as well as those of the twelve dead gihox soldiers.

**To be contined...**

**I can't believe it; I actually felt sympathy for the Imperiaz.**


	20. Chapter 20: The Meeting

**This chapter is long overdue, but I had some trouble with my laptop and had to have it repaired. And just to warn those who find it uncomfortable to read about certain adult practices, there is some *cough* in this chapter. Now that that has been established and is out of the way, here is the story.**

**Chapter 20**

Master Boddai sat atop his bed, legs crossed, hands resting on his knees, his eyes closed shut and his senses turned inward. This was no ordinary meditative trance, the old master was in, but an aspect of the ancient kairu technique Gleipnir. This aspect of the technique was most easy to use, so even master Boddai, in his weakened state, could achieve it. This aspect could be used not only to achieve the deepest of meditative trances, but also to achieve complete harmony between mind, body and spirit. Doing so was difficult to the point of being almost impossible, but if such harmony was somehow reached, then the practitioner would receive heightened powers and achieve an elevated state of consciousness.

Master Boddai focused, trying to find that part of his being that would allow him to achieve such enlightenment, so that he could shake off his infirmities once and for all. He knew the chances of him ever achieving such a level of harmony were slim to none; not a single master had been able to do so for thousands of years, but he felt that he at least had to try.

Abruptly, a wave of nausea washed over the old man, beads of sweat forming on his furrowed brow, as a myriad of images flashed through his mind. He saw a wide valley, where tall, square-shouldered shapes milled about many different camps like ants. Beyond the swarming, black mass, there loomed a structure, a great fortress, whose terrifying grandeur could not be denied. And with the image came a feeling of intense unease, a feeling that the old master knew all too well.

''Malice,'' master Boddai gasped, as he was torn from his meditative trance. ''I have to warn the Redakai.''

xxxxx

Maya lay on her back on the makeshift bed in the underground cave that served as her and Ky's special meeting spot. She studied the stalactites hanging from the ceiling, and the many glowworms that had made their home among those stony teeth. She studied how the light from their small fire reflected off the mica crystals that adorned the cave. Maya found herself jerked from her contemplations abruptly, by a sudden, yet subtle twitching of her muscles.

She took a deep breath to steady herself.

Maya listened to the rhythmic sounds of droplets of water falling from the stalactites and landing on the rock, creating an echoing sound, or on the smooth surface of one of the underground lakes in the chamber. She was torn from her contemplations again, by another twitching of her muscles, this one a bit more forceful than the last.

Maya bit her finger and closed her eyes, giving a throaty growl, which was in no way dissatisfactory, and tried to focus on the rhythmic sound of the droplets. But then she was once again stolen from her contemplations, as a hand reached up to fondle with her bosom, and her growling became a bit more urgent, the sound of the droplets all but forgotten.

Maya felt another twitching of her muscles, and her growls ceased, being replaced by a heavy breathing. Her chest was heaving a bit more quickly now, the skin on her sternum showing just the slightest hint of red, as was the skin on her neck and thighs. Maya bit her lip, and reached down low, coaming her fingers through Ky's thick shock of jet-black hair.

Her breathing became quicker. She was close now.

Maya reached up over her head and placed her hands against the rocky base of the stalagmite mound that rested at the head of the makeshift bed, and let out a silent yelp. Ky, encouraged by the sound, went at his task with more fervor than before, slowly bringing the young woman to a crescendo.

Maya felt the sudden urge to grab hold of something solid. She was so very close. She found nothing to hold on to, and so she simply threw her arms wide, accepting this roller-coaster ride as something she would simply have to ride out.

It was building within her, the need for release.

Sweat caught the firelight, making her skin seem to give off a reddish-gold light.

So very close.

Maya heard a voice suddenly, and it took her a few seconds to realize that it was her own voice. Her temples throbbed, and her cheeks and the bridge of her nose felt so hot that she wondered if they would burst into flames.

So close.

A second yelp escaped her mouth, as the need for release became almost unbearable, though not in an unpleasant way. The hand fondling her bosom began to work with a greater sense of urgency, as did Ky between her thighs.

''Bless me,'' Maya muttered in a breathy voice. She felt as if she had just reached the highest point of the roller-coaster track, and was now teetering ominously on a precipice, overlooking a steep, steep descent.

So unbearably close.

Maya teetered for a few moments, and then it came, sweet release, as she found herself pushed over the precipice, and began her descent along the track. The muscles in her body tensed and contracted, her fingers raked at the hard stone, her toes curling, and her moans became muffled. Her shoulder-blades pressed down hard against the softness of the cushions, and her back arched, her butt lifting several inches from the bed. It lasted for a few seconds, her body locked in a series of small but thoroughly overwhelming spasms, and then she slid into a warm state of satisfied relaxation.

Ky crawled up beside her, a wry grin on his handsome face. ''So...'' he began, ''the experiment was a success, I take it?'' Maya grabbed him roughly by the chin and forced him to lock her intense gaze with his own. She did not speak; could not speak. ''I guess I'll take that as a yes,'' he said.

Ky noticed something then, a blue glow on the edge of his vision. ''Oh, you have gotta be kidding me,'' he muttered. He grabbed Maya and took her along with him as he went into a sidelong roll, which took them off the edge of the bed, and into a small gap between two stalagmites, which had been overcast with shadow from the fire.

Ky looked at Maya, who was still recovering from the rush of their lovemaking and the abruptness of the roll. He put a finger to pursed lips, then stood up, picking up a small rock as he did.

Master Boddai's astrally projected form looked around, a worried expression painted on his face, though he did not seem to have noticed the two lovers, or the makeshift bed at the edge of the firelight. He suddenly heard the sound behind him, like a rock skipping across the ground, and bewildered, he spun his astral projection about.

Ky rushed to where his belt lay on the ground, retrieving his x-reader from its holster, and holding it up before him. ''MIRAGE,'' he said quietly, pressing the small device up against his bare chest, and in the blink of an astrally projected eye, clothes appeared on him.

Ky walked over to the astral projection of his master. ''Ky,'' master Boddai exclaimed, ''there you are.'' He peered around in all directions, a puzzled look on his bluish-white face. ''Is Maya not with you?'' he asked, his bushy brow furrowing. ''I thought you had gone out together.''

''Maya's around here somewhere,'' Ky replied quickly; too quickly, drawing a raised eyebrow from master Boddai. ''Collecting samples, I mean,'' he was quick to add, this time drawing a nod from the old man.

''I need you both at master Atoch's monastery, as soon as you can manage,'' master Boddai said. ''Something dire came up.''

''Malice?'' Ky asked.

''I'll tell you more about it when the two of you get back to the monastery.''

''Alright, we'll be there,'' Ky said.

While he certainly could have, Master Boddai decided not to tell Ky that in his astrally projected form, attacks such as _mirage_ did not work on him, and with one last nod to Ky, he disappeared.

Ky sighed deeply, then walked over to the gap between the stalagmites and slid down against the stone, the mirage of his clothing disappearing completely. ''I'm afraid we don't have time for the second stage of our experiment,'' he lamented.

''He told us to return as soon as we could manage,'' Maya said, a mischievous twinkle in her amber eyes.

''But he said it was dire,'' Ky reasoned.

''Don't worry, I'll be quick,'' Maya said, grabbing Ky, and putting him in her mouth.

xxxxx

''Where have you two been?'' Boomer asked, his expression grim, as Ky and Maya walked up to him, where he stood on one of the arching wooden bridges of master Atoch's monastery, some twenty minutes later. ''We've been waiting for you.''

''Long walk,'' Ky explained.

''Is master Boddai around here somewhere?'' Maya asked.

''All the Redakai are,'' Boomer replied. ''A meeting is about to start.''

''Well,'' Ky said, ''let's not keep them waiting any longer.'' He motioned for Boomer to precede them. ''Lead the way, Boom.''

Boomer led them across the bridge and across the training grounds, to a broad, stout structure, with plastered brick walls, and a peaked roof of red tiles. The door of the structure was a rectangular slab of wood, with images and symbols carved into it. Boomer opened the door a crack and slipped inside, followed by Maya, and Ky slipped in last, closing the door behind him.

Inside, the Redakai were seated in a circle on the floor, and Ekeyon, Mookee, and the three members of Team Tiro were standing over by the far wall. Team Stax walked over and joined them. Ky noticed that his father was present, the older Stax giving his son a wink and a thumbs up, a gesture that Ky reciprocated.

Behind the seated Connor, three teenagers stood, two boys and one girl, all wearing the garb of a kairu apprentice. One of the guys was tall and lean and hawkish, with sandy-blonde hair, blue eyes, and a goatee. He wore the sleeves of his shirt folded all the way up to his shoulders, displaying a pair of finely chiseled arms. He had a confident air about him, and was probably the leader of the group.

The other guy was not quite as tall as his friend, but much broader, with a massively muscled chest, and corded arms that seemed to be able to crush stone. His skin was dark, a shade darker than Maya's, his hair thick, black and curly, and he had a huge square chin. Many people equated muscle with crudeness and stupidity, but it was plain at a mere glance into his dark eyes, that a profound intelligence rested behind those glittering orbs.

Strong and smart, a powerful combination.

The girl was short in stature and and slight of build, with a somewhat undeveloped figure, but that did not diminish her beauty in the least. She had black eyes that were shaped slightly like teardrops, and her glossy black hair hung low to brush against her slim waist. The shape of her eyes and the coloration of her skin gave her away as being of Chinese descent.

''Who are those guys?'' Maya asked.

''That is Team Tuatha,'' Ekeyon explained. ''They are Connor's students.''

Ky nodded, proud of his old man.

''I also overheard that master Baphamel will be taking students soon,'' Ekeyon added, eying the newly-appointed Redakai master.

''That is awesome,'' Maya remarked.

''Now that we are all gathered,'' master Atoch began, his roving gaze taking in all the people in the room, ''master Boddai has an important announcement to make.''

''Redakai, students, Mookee,'' the tangerine-colored alien wilted as master Boddai spoke the words. ''We are gathered here today to discuss a most urgent matter; a matter shown to me by a vision.'' The old master paused, giving the words time to sink in. ''I have beheld a vast host, gathered around an immense black fortress. But that is not all, for with that vision there also came a sensation; an aura of dread. My friends, I have felt such an aura coming from one person, and one person only.''

''You speak of Malice,'' master Baphamel reasoned.

''Indeed,'' master Boddai replied, nodding his head. ''Malice has gathered an army of gihox, evil giants, and we must not underestimate her intentions. She is meaning to use this vast host to conquer the world, and so we must act quickly, or the earth will know war on a scale hitherto unknown to man.''

A few moments of silence ensued.

''I'll go,'' master Baphamel offered at length. ''I'll infiltrate her fortress, and eliminate Malice in short order. How well will this monstrous army function, I wonder, if its head has been severed. Will the tribes, which have been feuding over petty grievances for centuries untold, not merely revert back to their old tribal selves, if the force binding them together is no more? Will the clans not break apart and turn against one another?''

''Your logic is sound, Baphamel,'' master Quantis said, knuckling his mustache. ''But would sending someone who knows how this enemy thinks not be a wiser course?''

All eyes turned on Maya.

''You know how Malice thinks better than anyone else in this room,'' master Quantis reasoned. ''If you can somehow get into her fortress and defeat her, then the army will, in all likelihood, either scatter or turn in on itself. What say you Maya?''

''I'll go,'' the young woman replied.

''Not alone you won't,'' Ky said. ''I'll go too.''

The eyes of all in attendance turned on Boomer, who was nervously shifting from one foot to the other, for he was still recovering from the tournament.

''Oh, alright,'' he said. ''I'll go.''

''They should not go alone,'' master Baphamel said. ''I will go with them.''

''It is decided then,'' master Quantis announced. ''You will leave as soon as possible. Time is of the essence, and haste will be your only ally.''

That said, the meeting was over.

xxxxx

''You must promise me that you will be careful,'' master Boddai said to his students, as they stood before him in his room.

''Don't worry, master B,'' Ky said reassuringly. ''We'll be careful.''

Master Boddai nodded.

''When you are going into danger, it is very important to know who the people beside you are,'' the old man said.

The three members of Team Stax exchanged confused glances. ''But we already know each other,'' Maya said.

''I was talking more about Baphamel,'' master Boddai explained.

''What about him?'' Ky asked. ''He seems like a swell guy.''

''He told me that his father had been a healer in a village,'' Boomer said. ''He said that he could cure almost anything. Baphamel also said that he had always wanted to become a healer too, like his old man.''

''But did he tell you why he did not become a village healer?'' master Boddai asked.

''No,'' Boomer said, shaking his head. ''I asked, but he didn't want to talk about it.''

''Then I will tell you,'' the old man said, motioning for his students to sit down. ''But before I do, I want you all to know that Baphamel is a good man.'' The words put the three friends back on their heel, for why should master Baphamel not have been a good man?

''As you said, Boomer, master Baphamel once lived in a village, and again as you have already established, his father was the village healer. He had always wanted to become a healer like his father, and his father had trained him. Baphamel had sometimes gone into a nearby forest to gather ingredients that his father would then use to create his remedies.''

Boomer nodded, for the newly appointed Redakai master had already told him that much.

''One day, when Baphamel was returning to his village from such an expedition into the woods, he heard screams, and so he went closer. The horrors he witnessed when he came into the village were beyond description. Jon Rosum, a crime lord from a neighboring village, had sent his minions on an errand to fetch the recipes his father had used to make his remedies, the vile man thinking to sell the recipe off to the highest bidder.

''Baphamel, then only twelve years old, bore witness to the murder of his father, the rape and murder of his mother and older sister, and the burning of his house. He managed to escape Rosum's minions, and hide in the wood. When the men were gone, Baphamel had returned to the burned-out husk that had once been his home, and had beheld the charred and desecrated corpses of his family. No one in the village helped him, not even those he had considered his trusted friends, fearing that doing so would bring retribution from Rosum.''

''And so Baphamel had lived in the woods, hunting and scavenging for food, and all the while his hatred of Jon Rosum, and of evil in general, grew, until he finally decided to avenge his family, and kill the men who had ruined his life.''

''Baphamel had used the skills he had learned during his tenure in the forest in order to become a vigilante of sorts, and he... dispatched of the men who had killed his family, and other men and women who had been in league with Rosum; however, Rosum himself always managed to elude Baphamel, to the young man's frustration and outrage.''

''But how did he get involved with the Redakai?'' Maya asked.

''Master Quantis found the then seventeen year old Baphamel, and, seeing such potential in the young man, took him in, teaching him a more peaceful and less self-destructive way to combat evil, and making him into a kairu-warrior.''

''Baphamel still hates evil, and while he tries to follow the teachings of Quantis, and try to find a more peaceful solution to wickedness than bloodshed, his rage sometimes seeps through, and makes him lose control, though he has always managed to compose himself before doing something he would later regret. You have witnessed this happen once, back at the tournament, when Zane attacked him, and Baphamel grabbed him and then shoved him back, though that was just a small sample, really. I reiterate my earlier statement: Baphamel is a good man.''

There came a knock at the door. ''It is past time for us to depart,'' master Baphamel called from the hallway. ''We have tarried here too long already, and we have not a minute to spare. Say your farewells and let us be gone, or we just might find us knee-deep in a war before we even leave the monastery-grounds.''

Team Stax said their farewells to master Boddai, then exited the room.

''Now then,'' master Baphamel said, producing his x-reader from within the folds of his clothing. ''Let us be off.'' He held the gadget above his head, and Ky, Maya and Boomer moved closer to him. And then, in a flash of light, they were gone.

**To be continued...**

**Here are some more songs for characters.  
**

Lokar (for those who have not seen the movie the Pick of Destiny and still want to see it, might want to skip listening to this song until they've seen the movie, because it is from the last battle) = **Beelzeboss,** by Tenacious D

Princess Diara (since I actually sympathized with this most infuriating of *female dogs* I have decided to give her a song that I actually like quite alot) = **Courtney Gears**, from Ratchet &amp; Clank 3 (again there might be spoilers for those who haven't played the game).

Master Baphamel = **Baldur**, by Skálmöld.

Mookee = **Supergeil, **with Friedrich Liechtenstein

Ky = **Whoa whoa whoa**, by WATSKY!

Boomer = **Jack Sparrow (feat. Michael Bolton)**, by Lonely Island and Michael Bolton


	21. Chapter 21: The Mission

**For those who are interested, I also have an account on Fictionpress. I have a fantasy story there, called: Legacy of the Dawnbringer. The link is in my profile.  
**

**Chapter 21**

Malice stood on a balcony overlooking the swarming black mass that was her army, smiling with satisfaction. She looked to where a group of gihox smithies were concentrated in the easternmost part of the vast encampment. Burly forms milled about those smithies, giants working them day and night, forging the gear her army would use. Clustered to one side was the machinery of war, great catapults and ballistae.

A wave of nausea washed over her all of a sudden, buckling her knees. She grasped the balcony railing, pearls of sweat beading on her brow. In her thoughts she could see a glowing boulder, its blue-white light indicating it as a kairu relic. The nausea melted away then, and a grin spread across her dark face.

''I have a task for you,'' Malice said, turning away from the balcony and walking back into her room. Zane lay sprawled in a chair there, feet crossed at the ankles, one arm slung casually over the chair back. ''I just sensed a kairu deposit,'' the dark spirit said in answer to his questioning look. ''I want you to retrieve it for me.'' Zane nodded, standing up and walking out of the room.

Malice moved back to the balcony, once again taking in the awesome spectacle of her gathered army. Soon they would be ready to strike out at the small villages to the west, and then her army would start taking larger prizes. Cities would fall, then whole nations. The earth would burn in the fires of war, and as the gihox realized absolute control over the planet, she and Zane would be worshiped as dark gods.

She could barely wait.

xxxxx

Zane stood in a valley some distance beyond the valley that held the gihox army. Trembling with excitement, he produced his x-reader, flipping through his monster x-drives until he found the one he was looking for. ''MANAGARM!'' he exclaimed, holding the gadget up before him. He fell down on all fours then as yellow energy enveloped his body, and he began growing and changing shape.

When the yellow energy dissipated, he had completely transformed into his newest monster. He resembled a wolf the size of a full grown bull, with a wildly shaggy coat of black fur, and his one eye glowed fiercely with red fires. A garish scar ran over his other eye, which was completely black. A line of drool hung low from his mouth, the spittle sizzling like acid as it hit the ground.

Zane howled with glee, then bolted away in search of the kairu.

xxxxx

Gargatorix, the bored gihox sentry leaned casually against his nine foot spear, head bobbing as he dozed off on the job. He was supposed to be guarding a rocky mountain pass not too far from the main encampment, but so far he had seen nothing save for the occasional eagle or mountain goat.

The sound of feet scraping off stone brought him from his stupor, and he slapped the haft of his spear across his palm. The sound came again, this time louder, and the giant realized it came from behind a large boulder about a dozen yards off. Likely it was his friend Koloth, who was supposed to take the next shift. He figured his fellow sentry was trying to play a trick on him, and so he lowered his huge spear. Koloth had ever been one to play tricks on you.

''I'm onto ye,'' Gargatorix barked. ''So ye better be getting yerself out from behind that boulder afore I decide yer an enemy and beat ye dumb.'' There came no reply, and so he approached casually. However as he rounded the boulder he saw it was not his friend – not a gihox at all, but a human wearing a red bandana. ''Ye're not Koloth,'' Garbraxis protested, feeling betrayed.

''True,'' the human said, pointing over the giant's shoulder. ''And neither is he.''

The gihox spun about just in time to see another human, this one older than the first and wearing a gray robe, leap into a spinning circle-kick. The blow connecting thunderously on his face, making his wide and flat nose wider and flatter still. The giant stumbled back, blood pouring freely from both nostrils, and then he stumbled over the first human, who had gone into a crouch behind him.

Gargatorix landed heavily on his back, then the older human leaped atop his chest, from where he sprang into a somersault that had him double stomping his heels into the giant's eyes. The gihox screamed in agony, throwing his hands up before his bloody eyeballs. But the human did not end there, stomping hard on his face, pounding the foolish giant into unconsciousness.

''We should tie him up,'' master Baphamel said as he jumped down from the gihox's massive chest. Ky and Maya came out from behind another boulder, staring wide-eyed from the brutal Redakai master to the giant lying on the ground, his face covered in blood. Had it not been for the heaving of its chest, they might have thought the behemoth dead.

''I agree,'' Boomer said, giving the supine giant a wide birth. ''But do you have any rope?''

Master Baphamel smiled, producing a sphere from within the folds of his robe. He threw the sphere at the gihox, a myriad of blue energy cords springing from it, weaving together into a net to entrap the unconscious monster. ''There,'' he said. ''Now we just have to drag him away to where he will not easily be found by other gihox. Boomer, help me out here.'' The large warrior moved to help the Redakai master drag the behemoth away.

When that was done, the four companions moved on. They came to a rocky ridge a short while later, and they crawled up the incline on their bellies. When they crested the ridge, their mouths dropped open. In the distance they could see a massive black fortress, exactly as master Boddai had described it, and massed around it like ants were thousands of evil giants, milling about their camps. From the top of the fortress' tallest spire there flapped a banner, showing two eyes on a light gray background, one purple, the other covered by an eye patch.

''Damn,'' Maya muttered under her breath.

''How are we gonna get past that swarm?'' Ky asked.

''I have an idea,'' master Baphamel said. ''But it's risky.'' He produced his x-reader, and selected his _invisibility_ x-drive. ''Malice may be able to sense me using this, but then again she also may not.'' He pointed the gadget at himself, and he turned completely invisible, then he used the attack on his companions, each in turn.

''Follow me,'' he ordered, running in a crouch toward the edge of the encampment, the three members of Team Stax in tow. They made their way toward the section of the encampment where the war machines were, for there were not nearly as many gihox concentrated around them. As they passed through the encampment, Maya could hear what some of the giants were talking about. She was not very good at the gihox language, but she knew enough to know that the creatures were talking about war, and how they were going to enslave the humans. She also heard some of them talking about recipes that used humans as a main ingredient.

Then they were through the encampment, the four standing before the huge front gate of the fortress. It was flanked on either side by a watchtower, and a giant stood in each of those towers. The gate was closed, but after a few minutes it opened for a contingent of half a dozen giants, whom the four companions shadowed into the structure, entering a vast black hall.

The gihox contingent moved away, and as they left the four, they shed the _invisibility_ attack, stepping out into the open once more. On they went, moving through high and wide corridors, and sneaking past several bored gihox guards. At one point they had to sneak through a room of gihox craftsmen, who were carving huge obsidian statues resembling various kairu monsters.

''There must be a throne room somewhere in this place,'' master Baphamel said as they moved along a corridor. ''If there is, then Malice is probably there.''

They rounded a bend, walking right into a trio of very beleaguered gihox guards. The giants barked something and came on, brandishing their weapons. The older man leaped in at the closest brute, and the behemoth swung its sword across. Baphamel ducked under the swishing blade, then sprang into the air, planting a double kick right into its throat. The blow was not hard enough to kill the behemoth, but it was enough to send the behemoth stumbling back, gasping for breath.

Another of the brutes charged in, chopping down with its club. Maya jumped out of reach, then rushed back in, running up the cudgel and the arm holding it, grabbing hold of the hair at the back of its head. Planting her feet against its broad back to gain leverage, she launched a series of sharp jabs at the back of the monsters neck. The behemoth stumbled once, twice, and then it went down, unconscious.

The third giant stabbed at Baphamel with its spear, but the master brought his palm in at the side of its tip, turning it harmlessly aside. As the gihox retracted its weapon, the older man rushed in, connecting with a flying kick on its face. The behemoth went down heavily to the ground, but the stubborn thing would not stay there. It tried to stand up, but Baphamel promptly laid it low with a second kick to the face.

The gihox Baphamel had kicked in the throat charged in at Boomer, unarmed and leading with a heavy punch. The stocky warrior dove through its widespread legs and kicked out, buckling one of its knees. The giant put its feet under it and whirled about, grabbing Boomer and lifting him into the air.

Then the giant howled in agony and dropped Boomer. The stocky youth looked at the monster, or more particularly at the spear Baphamel had buried deep in its hamstring. The master extracted the spear with an accompanying gush of blood, then slammed the butt of the weapon into the gihox's skull, dropping it unconscious to the ground.

The four breathed easier.

Suddenly a bolt of purple lightning flashed down the corridor, hurling back humans and gihox alike. Smoke wafting from her clothing, Maya looked down the corridor to see a familiar black-cloaked figure striding toward them. Another bolt followed, but Maya threw up a shield of her inner-kairu, shielding her and her companions from the attack that scorched the floor and the walls.

''Guess she's not into the whole issuing a kairu challenge before battling thing,'' Boomer said.

''Then we do not need to be either,'' Maya remarked, reaching out with one arm, firing a bolt of blue lighting down the corridor. The attack hit the dark spirit, causing her to jerk spasmodically, but she managed to regain control almost immediately.

Malice retaliated in fierce, her inner kairu reached out from her and into the obsidian floor, which seemed to ripple out from the dark spirit in waves, throwing the four into the air violently. They had to work hard to orient themselves enough as they descended so not to land on their heads.

''WALL OF BLADES!'' master Baphamel shouted, and a barrage of sharp razors shot out from his extended hand.

Malice gave the man a vastly superior look as her inner kairu reached into the floor, raising a protective wall from the floor in front of her. The razors pin cushioned the barrier, which promptly sank back into the floor as though it had never been. ''I would have thought a Redakai master would pack a bigger punch than that, Baphamel.''

Baphamel thinned his eyes. He had never been quite as strong as many of his peers when it came to channeling kairu energy, a fact that had so often frustrated the man. The martial arts, on the other hand, were his forté. He was regarded as one of the finest fighters of his generation, a testament to his five years spent as a vigilante.

''Cover me,'' Baphamel ordered, then he charged.

Ky fired a line of plasma, Boomer threw a ball of multicolored energy, and Maya threw a series of feather daggers in rapid succession. Malice ran a few steps up a wall, the orange beam striking the floor where she had been standing. Then she launched herself from the wall in a twisting somersault, the multi colored ball swishing past. She touched down, bursting into a blurr of motion, daggers deflecting off her bracers. Malice even managed to snatch one dagger from the air, then line Maya up for a throw.

But then a much better target presented itself, Baphamel charging at her, and she threw the dagger at the approaching man. But he just slapped the blade out of the air and launched himself into a flying kick, aimed for her throat. Malice sidestepped, then charged back in, forcing Baphamel into a short retreat. It was a short reprieve for the dark spirit, though, for he closed in on her immediately, unloading a series of jabs and kicks that had her on her heels, constantly blocking and parrying.

Malice thought she saw an opening and threw a left hook, but Baphamel had tricked her, for he glided out of range and came back in leading with a heavy punch that struck her across the jaw, staggering her backwards.

Baphamel, thinking to capitalize on his advantage he had gained, came on, but this time it was Malice who surprised him, for as he neared, the dark spirit struck him with a fist charged with her inner kairu. There came a dark flash as the blow connected, staggering the man, then there came second burst of black light as her sudden vicious backhand launched him away.

Malice did not get any time to catch her breath, though, for the three members of Team Stax were charging at her. The incoming barrage of jabs and kicks had her backing on her heels, making sure all she could do was defend, presenting her with no opportunity to strike back. She blocked and parried with wild abandon, using her inner kairu occasionally, sweat beading on her face. She noticed that Baphamel had gotten back to his feet and was moving to rejoin the fight.

Malice roared, her eyes glowing fiercely, and the ensuing blast of energy hurled her opponents back, sending them tumbling down the corridor. The dark spirit breathed heavily, but then she straightened. ''I thought I could defeat you all unaided,'' she remarked. ''But now I see the error of my thinking, for surely I am in need of a little bit of help.'' She produced her x-reader, and the image of a red dragon appeared, hovering above the small device.

''FANARLOKI!'' the name rolled ominously off her tongue, then she was enveloped in a shroud of green energy.

''No!'' Maya shouted, extending her arms, and a barrage of red energy balls burst from her hands, pelting the transforming Malice. As the attack played out, fires burned here and there, thick black smoke rising from the biting flames. The dark spirit had been engulfed by the blaze, and of her now nothing could be seen.

''There is not an x-drive in your arsenal that can destroy me,'' said a voice from within the inferno, a voice that sounded partially like Malice, and partially like rolling thunder, sending shivers through the floor and walls. A tremendous pair of leathery wings, at least thirty feet across, spread from the blaze, scraping against the corridor walls. Then the head appeared, rising from the smoke cloud, rising to tower above the four companions at sixteen feet. Its scales were mottled red and purple, and its purple eyes were slitted, staring out from under its horns.

''Kairu preserve us,'' Maya gasped.

The dragon face crinkled into a caricature of a smile as the three members of Team Stax cowered before her magnificence. Then her expression turned into one of incredulity as master Baphamel rushed to close the distance between himself and her. A sword wrought of red flame appeared in his hand. Malice retracted her head, then shot it forward, thinking to devour the foolish man, but Baphamel sidestepped, slashing at the dragon face. The fiery blade carved a line down the side of her face, over her eye, though it did not damage the eye itself.

Malice roared and retracted her head, then opened her fanged maw, spewing forth a line of destructive purple energy. Baphamel dove into a sidelong roll, the beam tearing up the floor where he had been standing. As he came out of the roll he launched the flaming sword at the dragoness, the blade gashing a foreleg. Up came that foreleg, the dark spirit thinking to crush the man and be done with him, but then a fireball struck her squarely in the face, stealing her attention.

Malice stared pure murder at Ky, who stood some distance away, the young Stax preparing to throw another fireball. The beast opened its mouth again, charging its breath weapon, but then a hammer smashed against its scaly armor, sending sheets of hot pain through her side. Her head jerked off target, the purple beam blasting a chunk from the wall, then its gaze fell upon Boomer who stood up close, platinum hammer poised to strike again.

''WIND BLAST!'' Malice roared, beating her leathery wings, and a gust of green wind smote Ky, knocking him from his feet, and sending his latest fireball soaring way off target. Then she turned her attention to Boomer, her tail snaking around to grab the stocky man by the ankle and lifting him into the air. She held him up before her face, her mouth opening, with purple light falling upon the frightened Boomer.

Then a barrage of red energy balls smote Malice in the head, the bellowing dragoness dropping Boomer to the ground. The stocky youth crawled away on all fours, and the dark spirit looked about to see Maya standing off to the side. ''Damn it!'' Malice roared, lashing with her tail, drawing numerous cracks in the wall as the young woman dove out of harm's way.

How foolish Malice thought herself at that moment. She had been so excited to show off her new monster that she had completely ignored the fact that in a corridor she would be at a sore disadvantage due to her size. If she had enough room to fly around she would have dispatched her enemies quickly and easily.

''You are all going to die!'' she bellowed, the sheer volume of her voice shaking the very foundations of the fortress. Suddenly she felt someone leap onto her back, and her serpentine neck swiveled about to regard Baphamel, standing in the area between her wings. Malice watched as he clenched a fist, and channeled his inner kairu into it, causing it to glow a soft blue light. She tried to bite at the man, but Baphamel was the quicker. He smote his fist down on the area where her wings met. Her half human, half monstrous scream echoed through the halls as sharp jolts of pain shot through her entire body, before dropping her to the ground, where she lay very still.

A green shroud of energy encompassed the dragoness, then its massive silhouette began to shrink, and when the energy at last dissipated, Malice lay on the floor in her human form. Baphamel walked over to the dark spirit, thinking to scoop her into his arms, but then the floor beneath his feet speared into the air as a column, and he had to jump off to prevent being crushed against the ceiling. Malice shakily got back to her feet.

''You are defeated, Malice,'' Ky said. ''Surrender.''

''Never,'' the dark spirit growled, producing her x-reader.

''She's gonna teleport!'' Baphamel roared.

An orb of light appeared around the x-reader, and then it grew until it encompassed the whole of her. The four companions converged on the orb as it began to dissipate, but only Maya was able to throw herself into the light, following the dark spirit. Then the orb was gone, and so too were Malice and Maya gone.

**To be continued...**

Maya = **Call for Heroes, **by Pierre Langer.

Malice = **Divine Power**, by Shockwave Sound (the song is in a video titled: Army of Ages - Divine Power)


	22. Chapter 22: The duel

**Sorry for taking so long, I have been very busy with work lately. Anyway, here is the next chapter.**

**Chapter 22**

Malice reappeared on a flat and wide mountain top that was covered by snow, a loose blanket whipped this way and that by the wind. She pulled her cloak tighter about her to ward off the biting cold. Growling one curse after the other she took a few steps before stopping dead in her tracks. Someone was behind her! She whirled about, just in time to see the sole of a boot flying toward her. Malice took the flying kick in the face and stumbled back, but did not go down. She eyed her assailant, and saw that it was her most hated enemy, Maya.

''Excellent,'' Malice said. ''We should have some privacy here.''

''Just shut up and fight,'' Maya said, falling into a fighting stance.

''You really ought to be more careful what you wish for. You see, Fanarloki is not the only tool I have picked up since the kairu tournament.'' Malice dropped into a fighting crouch, legs wide apart and perfectly balanced, and then she began to harmoniously move her hands in circles before her, as though she were performing some sort of ritual.

Something crashed into Maya then, and she staggered back, a look of confusion creasing her forehead as she looked back at Malice. The dark spirit, still standing across from her, hands swaying and crossing, had not made any obvious move against her. Then, pain unlike anything she had ever thought possible shot through her spirit and corporeal form alike, tearing a horrified scream from her throat. She felt something cold inside her, a shadowy demon attacking something far more sensitive than her flesh. Maya closed her eyes and tried to concentrate through her revulsion.

Maya was no longer aware of her physical surroundings, for her focus was completely internal at that horrible moment. Her spirit knelt on a dark field of gray fog, the dark spirit towering over her, its cold fingers clamped about her throat. Maya willed her spirit to grab the dark spirit by the wrists, and then she began to force its hands apart. She strained to put her feet under her and she rose, pushing the dark spirit back a bit. Ripples of spiritual energy rolled out from the two spirits as they struggled.

Maya could not help but consider her own form, for while she was the same size and shape as her corporeal body, here she was composed of white fog, and radiated a fierce glow to combat the darkness of her opponent, and blue fires burned in her large eyes. And so they struggled, and she could not help but notice another thing as well. As she pushed the dark spirit back, its hands turned gray, then its forearms. Maya realized that if either spirit were turned gray completely, then that spirit would be destroyed.

Malice dug in and retaliated, and Maya started to turn a shade of gray, just as the dark spirit grew black and opaque once more. Maya fought back with all the willpower she could muster, but could not hope to beat the dark spirit, who was much more experienced with this form of combat. The dark spirit drove Maya down to her spirit knees, and a purple line spread across its shadowy face as the grayness spread through the light spirit. It spread up her arms, reaching her shoulders.

Maya struggled, sending every ounce of her considerable willpower against that of the dark spirit, but to no avail. She knew that unless she did something and did it now, her very soul would be obliterated, and she would cease to exist, and in face of that horrifying prospect she knew despair. Then an idea formed in her mind, and she regained some measure of her hope. She found her focus, but did not concentrate on pushing the dark spirit back, but on creating images and emotions in her mind. She gathered them together, then surged them into the dark spirit.

Malice wailed, spiritually and physically, as her mind was flooded with images of spiritual imprisonment and a profound sense of loneliness and despair. Maya, capitalizing on the advantage she had just gained, grabbed the dark spirit and pushed it back. It started to fade to gray immediately, and its purple eyes widened in shock and horror. And then the dark spirit was gone, retreating back to its own physical body.

Maya came back to her senses, opening her eyes to see Malice standing across from her, purple eyes wide, her body quivering from shock and not from the cold. Maya knew the trick would only work once, for the dark spirit would be ready for it next time. If the dark spirit instigated another battle of spirits, then Maya would not survive. Fortunately for the young woman, there were other ways to fight.

''HYPER HURRICANE!'' Maya shouted, rising up onto the ball of one foot and twirling as a ballerina would, and the wind around began to swirl with her. The whirlwind grew in intensity, grabbing loose snow and whipping it into an unbroken screen of white around her, and sharp shards of ice streaked in circles. Then she stopped twirling and thrust her hands out, launching the attack at the still stunned dark spirit. The hurricane caught her, trapping her within its swirling depths, tugging relentlessly at her black cloak, the white snow all but blinding her eyes.

Malice lurched this way and that as the strong winds pulled at her cloak, threatening to jerk her from her feet, but she managed to stay upright. A sliver of sharp ice shot across, drawing a line of blood on her thigh. Another sliver flashed across, drawing another line of blood on her shoulder, and a clump of ice smashed into her shoulder, and a third sliver slashed her painfully on the hip. Before long many cuts and bruises were flaring angrily across her body, and she had to undo the chain of her cloak, letting the black garment spiral up and away with the wind. Her tank top was ruined, the black fabric torn in many places, as were her pants.

Malice stumbled back, raising a hand and a wave of energy washed out from her, disrupting the attack and neutralizing the hurricane. The winds died down immediately, and snow and ice were hurled in all directions along the course of their trajectory. Maya rushed the dark spirit, deftly evading as sharp slivers and clumps of ice were hurled past her. She clenched a fist and swung it for Malice's face, thoughts of all the pain and all the suffering wrought by this evil creature fueling her strength.

The punch took Malice square in the face, and her head snapped to the side, blood flying from her mouth, and she fell onto a mound of snow. Maya was on her in an instant, pinning her to the ground with one forearm, and unloading a barrage of punches against her face with the other. The dark spirit grabbed Maya with one arm, wild desperation in her purple eyes as she tried to keep her from punching her again. And all the while the dark spirit crept a hand toward its boot.

Maya cocked a fist for what was sure to be the defining blow, a look of triumph crossing her features. But her expression turned into one of shock then, as an explosion of fiery pain erupted throughout her side. She looked down, confused, to see the hilt of a knife sticking from her side, blood staining her tank top dark red. Maya tried to scream, but all that came out was blood. Malice gave a crooked laugh, then she planted a foot against her belly, and with straining muscles she pushed Maya off of her. Maya landed on a bank of snow, dangerously close to the precipice. There came a sudden flash of light, and the dark spirit whirled just in time to take a knee to the belly that doubled her over and dropped her breathless to the ground.

Ky did not capitalize on the advantage, though, for something caught his attention, and held it with an icy grip. He cried out and rushed off to the aid of his injured lover, who was on her knees, clutching at the wound in her side. Ky watched her grab the hilt sticking from her side, then tear the knife out out with an accompanying gush of blood. She tossed the knife, a long and curving affair with a wicked, serrated edge, off to the side, and clutched at her side to try to stop the bleeding.

A bolt of purple lightning streaked past Ky as he ran, blasting the snow bank in front of him and causing it to start sliding down the slope, carrying the barely conscious Maya along for the ride. Ky dove ahead, sliding on his belly to catch her by the hand as the snow slide carried her over the precipice. He was nearly dragged over the precipice as well, but strong hands grabbed his legs and struggled to keep him from going over. He held onto the young woman with all his might, and below her dangling feet an avalanche was slowly picking up momentum.

Maya looked up through eyes that were fast growing dark around the edges, and realized that Ky was shouting something to her. The pain in her side no longer seemed as acute, but then again she could feel little besides the warmth of the blood trickling from her side and flowing down her leg. She could feel herself dying as her blood flowed out of her wound, an odd experience to be sure. Her mind was at once resigned, confused and frustrated, yet slowly having trouble.

Ky held on with all his strength, but his hand was slick with blood, and his grasp was slipping. ''No,'' he pleaded, his voice barely a whisper for the lump in his throat, and a single tear trickled down his cheek, falling to land on her face. Her hand slipped from his grasp, and Ky was jerked back onto the ledge by Boomer, and so he could not watch as Maya disappeared into the receding avalanche below.

Ky broke free of Boomer and scrambled back to peer over the ledge, his face a mask of the purest horror and despair. Boomer walked up beside his friend, staring numbly down at the sheet of moving snow and ice gathering at the base of the mountain wall. Baphamel joined them on the ledge, a pair of useless vials in hand. The three were jerked from their stupefaction by wild laughter behind them, and they spun to regard the cause of this tragedy. ''She is dead,'' Malice exclaimed, hopping up and down and clapping her hands together delightedly. ''That bitch is finally dead.''

With a howl of rage torn from the deepest recesses of his soul, Ky spun around, and an orange beam of sizzling energy shot from his hands. The dark spirit vanished in a flash, right before the instant the attack hit the ground where she had been standing. The ground shook beneath the punishment of the blow, and the young man could hear more avalanches crashing down the sides of nearby mountains. ''I will kill her,'' he growled, but Baphamel grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing him to lock stares.

''You must not allow yourself to fall pray to your inner demons,'' master Baphamel said, shaking the young man by the shoulders. ''I am not asking you to forget the terrible injustice done this day, never would I ask that. We are each a composite of our thoughts and memories, so forgetting would only diminish who we are, and insult the memory of the woman you loved. But you must not embrace the darkness, for doing so would only invite ruin, and put you on a path of anger and hatred from where you may never return.''

''Are we just going to capture the bitch, then?'' Ky snapped back. ''Are we just going to hold her prisoner, no further punishment exacted?''

''No,'' master Baphamel stated matter of factly. ''I am going to kill her, for nothing short of destroying her utterly will quell her murderous wrath. But I will not allow you to take that self destructive course. I treaded that path in my youth, and have done many terrible things that I regret, and so it is too late for me, but not for you. Perhaps, if I prevent another young soul from falling victim to their inner demons, I will be able to forgive a small part of myself.''

Ky trembled visibly with rage, but then his gaze slumped to the ground, his shoulders quivering as tears rolled from his ice blue eyes. He worked hard to gather himself, but could not for all his efforts, for this hurt more profoundly than anything the young man had ever experienced. Ky felt a strong hand on his shoulder, and glanced up at Boomer, the stocky youth trying to keep his visage firm to show support, though his eyes betrayed his feelings of grief, for tears were gathering in those hazel colored orbs.

Suddenly, a spear as thick as a small tree arched in, burying itself in a pile of snow only a few feet from the trio. Gihox charged up a mountain trail, brandishing large hammers, axes and swords, howling with the thrill of blood to come. Another behemoth lifted a spear to throw, but Baphamel was the quicker, grabbing up a rock of a good size for throwing and launching it into its eye, crushing the eye socket. The behemoth cried out in agony and toppled back, clutching at its face. Baphamel drew forth his x-reader then, and the three vanished in a flash of kairu.

**To be continued...**

**I think I may have inadvertently killed off some of my reader base there.**


	23. Chapter 23: Celebrations

**Chapter 23**

Malice reappeared in her room with a flash, her clothing torn and bloody from the numerous nicks and cuts she had sustained in the battle. She was in a wonderful mood, though, despite her injuries, for Maya, the wretch who had held her captive within her own body for many years, was finally dead, cold and buried beneath layers of ice and snow. The dark spirit smiled as though in ecstasy, reliving the moment when her nemesis went over the ledge. She looked down and realized she would have to get herself some new clothing.

Malice kicked one boot off, then the other, and then she shrugged off her pants and pulled her tank top over her head, tossing it aside with an indifferent hand. She moved to a cabinet at the other end of the room, and took from it a pair of vials. One contained a blue, nearly translucent potion, while the other contained an opaque purple healing salve.

''You are not the only one who knows how to mix remedies, Baphamel,'' she muttered as she pulled the cork of the potion vial and downed its contents in one gulp. A slight burning sensation told her that the potion was working its way into her blood stream, from where it would heal every nerve it would pass along the way.

While the potion was doing its work she poured a little bit of the healing salve onto her palm, and started rubbing it on her nicks and cuts, which began to close almost immediately. The burning sensation vanished a few minutes later, and she felt as though she had never actually been injured. Malice put the vial with the healing salve back into the cabinet and closed the door.

Malice walked over to her wardrobe and pulled open the door, revealing a line of tank tops hanging on coat hangers. Pants were neatly folded and arranged in a tidy manner in a drawer, and a cloak hung on a peg inside the wardrobe. The clothes were all in jet black, of course, but the cloak sported a purple eye embroidered on the cowl. She reached inside and pulled forth a tank top.

Behind her, she heard someone enter the room, but she did not get alarmed, for she knew from the rhythm of the footsteps who it was. And so she was not at all surprised to feel familiar hands caressing her hips, and Zane planted a warm kiss on the side of her neck. Her heart beat just a wee bit faster, and she could feel a slight tingle in her loins.

''I found the kairu,'' he said, his voice muffled against the side of her neck.

''Just as I knew you would,'' Malice replied. ''How did Managarm work out for you.''

''It was incredible,'' Zane said. ''I traversed miles in a matter of minutes, and the brute strength was beyond anything I have ever experienced before. I felt as though no creature in all the world would be quick enough to escape my claws and teeth. These claws and teeth give me the power to tear a person to shreds in mere heartbeats.''

''I shall have to let you try out Fanarloki sometime.''

''Believe me, I'd love to,'' Zane replied, planting another warm kiss on her neck, and her heart started to beat even faster in her chest. That is when Zane finally took note of her clothing, lying torn and bloody off to the side, and his brow furrowed. ''You got into a fight while I was gone, didn't you,'' he stated more than asked.

''Maya and her friends snuck into the fortress while you were away,'' Malice said, putting the tank top back in the wardrobe. ''They came to kill me, or at least to arrest me in the name of the Redakai. They managed to sneak past the army and incapacitate a few of our gihox guardsmen, but then I arrived to see to matters personally. In the end, they got more than they bargained for.''

''They escaped?''

''Not all of them,'' said Malice with a chuckle. ''Maya is dead.''

Zane perked up at the news.

''She and her friends nearly overwhelmed me in a three on one battle,'' Malice said, though a bit grudgingly, for she did not like admitting to such things. ''I was about to cut my losses and make a strategic retreat, but Maya followed me as I teleported away. We did battle for the last time on a distant mountain top, and it was there that her doom was finally decided. I stabbed her in the side, then threw her off the mountain. Right now, her corpse ought to be buried beneath tons of snow and ice.''

''Stabbed her and threw her off a mountain,'' Zane mused, and Malice could feel him caressing her hips and buttocks, and she nearly tore off his clothes and what remained of her own, and ordered him to take her then and there, on the floor if need be. She managed to maintain her composure, though, and instead took his hand and guided them down over her belly, then lower still. She grinned coyly then, as she felt something prod against her lower back.

''Do you want me to make love to you?'' Zane asked softly.

''Yes,'' she breathed.

Malice could feel Zane pinch the waist band of her panties and pull it out to the sides, then he let them fall to the floor. With a flick of her slender ankle, she whisked them up and tossed them far to the side. Then she felt his fingers between her shoulder blades, defeating her bra straps with ease, and throwing the garment off to the side.

Malice turned around and caught his lips in a hungry kiss, even as she started to undo the buttons at his neck and pull his shirt up over his head. She carelessly threw it to the side, and with her free hand grazed his muscular, bare chest with her fingernails. Then, without breaking off from the kiss, she reached down and unbuckled his heavy belt and proceeded to remove his breeches, no easy feat considering the mood he was in. It took a few moments but the garments eventually fell free, as did the rest of his clothing.

They broke off from the kiss then, and as one turned to glance toward the large double bed that had served as the stage for many such acts of intimacy over the course of their relatively short relationship. They looked back to each other, both wearing an expression that voiced the same fundamental question.

''Do you think we will be able to make it to the bed?'' Zane asked.

''Not me, that is for sure,'' Malice replied. ''We can do it on the floor.''

''Sounds like a plan,'' Zane said, exploding into motion, thinking to wrap his arms about her waist and bear her down to the ground with him. That did not happen, as it turned out, for as he reached for her, Malice ducked the launch, and swept her leg across in front of her, connecting with his ankle and tripping him to the ground. She was on the surprised man in an instant, straddling him by the waist, and leaning in for another feral kiss.

Zane gathered his wits and grabbed her by the waist, and she could do nothing except go along for the ride as he rolled her over onto her back. Malice grinned up at him as she felt his weight pin her to the ground, something that aroused her even more. A few moments later she felt a stabbing point.

Zane planted his hands on either side of her head as he began to work, and she clutched his muscular arms, drawing neat lines of blood on his biceps, using their solidity to anchor herself in place. She felt as though ripples were rhythmically emanating from her core, ripples that intensified from tiny things to great waves, and as those ripples reached her throat, they came out in the form of heavy panting.

**To be continued...**


	24. Chapter 24: An army of evil

**Chapter 24**

The punching bag reeled from the heavy hit, swinging to the end of its suspension rope and slamming hard into the ceiling. It swung back but was met midway by a mighty kick that rippled the surface of the training instrument, and sent it crashing back up against the ceiling. Back it came, seeming reluctant, like a doomed man heading for the gallows. Ky snarled and punched the bag hard, this time with enough force to rip it free of the ceiling. The training instrument careened across the way. The young man eyed the punching bag, where it lay slumped against the wall of his room in the X-caper, sand pouring freely from its punctured side.

Boomer sat on a bench by the wall, holding a comic book up before his face as he pretended to read, but in truth he was watching his friend. Ever since that fateful day when Maya had fallen off that cliff, Ky had been full of grief, and rightfully so, as his lover had, after all, fallen to her death. But this was not the quiet grief the young man had displayed while his father had been missing. This was more akin to what he had witnessed in Zane, a seething fire that threatened to burst out into an explosive rage at the slightest provocation. Ky had turned so viciously on Mookee the other day, that the little tangerine-colored alien had scurried for cover.

Boomer eyed his friend as he turned away from the mess he had made and walked toward a washing basin that stood against one wall. The changes had not only been in his demeanor, but also in his appearance. A short beard now adorned his face, for he would not be bothered with shaving, and his features were perpetually stony, and he never cracked one of his customary grins. The most profound change, though, was in his eyes, for their luster was now completely gone, replaced by cold orbs, devoid of sparkle. The warning master Baphamel had given to Ky echoed ominously in Boomer's thoughts.

Boomer was still coming to terms with the fact that Maya was dead, for he had never really expected one of them to die on one of their adventures. But now his eyes had been opened to the true dangers of their profession, and opened wide. He could only imagine how it had to be for Ky, who had been so intimate with the young woman. Boomer hoped that his friend would recover from his loss, and would not be launched down a path of anger and death as master Baphamel had been many years ago.

xxxxx

Malice stood on the balcony of her room, her black cloak flapping in the incessant wind as she looked across her army, row after row of soldiers, each a towering, hulking mass of chiseled muscle and hard bone. The gihox stood at rigid attention, clad in the traditional battledress of their warlike race, clutching spears like small trees, well-made clubs and deadly, wedge-shaped swords that could cleave a man down the middle. Her insignia, a pair of eyes, one purple and the other covered by an eye-patch, was emblazoned on the breastplate of each warrior.

Off to the right, the machinery of war was assembled, massive contraptions meant to bring death from afar or breach barricades. Each machine was chained to a team of human slaves, who would drag their immense weight at the end of a merciless gihox whip. Off to the left there was a group of huge dogs, each roughly the size of a bull, barking and snarling excitedly, restrained only by the burly gihox holding their leashes. At the other end of the host stood two figures. One was a huge and mighty gihox with a disfigured face, and the other was a green skinned alien with an eye-patch. The generals, like the rest of the army, stood at rigid attention, looking up at the balcony.

''A new order is on the horizon,'' Malice shouted over the encampment, her voice made powerful and godlike by her inner kairu. ''For far too long has humanity been the dominant race on the earth. For far too long has humanity denied the gihox, the rightful rulers of the planet, their right of dominance.'' Malice had to restrain herself from chuckling at the irony that she herself was one of those humans. The gihox were desperate, and would cling even to the promises of a human, if that promise would result in them reclaiming what was taken from them, those millennia ago.

''But that time has passed,'' Malice went on. ''The time has come for the gihox to rise from the ashes of defeat, and pay back humanity for all it has wrought, ten times over. The time has come to stain the ground red with the blood of those who have wronged you.'' The army erupted with cheers, and the clamor of weapons being shaken and the thumps of massive feet stomping in cadence on the ground. ''Venture forth and teach humanity the errors of their ways, and take back that which is rightfully yours. To war!'' She spread her arms gloriously out wide as she finished, an evil grin on her lips, a wicked glow in her purple eyes.

The army swept out of the encampment, then split down the middle, with Karbraxis leading one army south, while Zane led the other west. They would each attack a number of villages, before meeting up again at the gates of a great castle. Malice would rejoin them at the gates of that castle, a fortress owned by a person Malice had met before, while she was still locked away inside her own mind. The dark spirit smiled cruelly as she thought of how Kieran McCann would react to the woman he loved leading an army of murderous giants against the walls of his castle.

xxxxx

Far away from the terrible spectacle of the moving armies, a wind arose in the great mountains that had weathered the earliest years of the earth. It gusted south-west, weaving in and out between the great peaks and going lower, into the deep valleys. One such peak had recently witnessed a titanic battle of good versus evil, which had ended with the loser being carried on an avalanche down into an especially deep valley. The wind moved down into that valley, blowing the top layer of lose snow off a mound.

Revealing a brown-skinned arm, wreathed in a bluish-white glow.

**That is the end of Malice, but the story will continue in the sequal. **

**I want to thank everyone who read this story, it has truly meant a lot.  
**


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